Sound speaks power in that moment,
Silence speaks light each day…
Their world stops for a minute,
sacred reverence, honor…
They stand in silence, together,
with those who will not return…
Echoes of the metronome
Crossing time and space…
Wailing through the silence,
off the black top, living buildings…
Announcing their identity as a people,
bleeding into their hearts…
They stop together, united,
As a nation, as a people,
in grief, in honor, reverence,
for their fallen, for their heroes…
Speaking their name in signs,
never to forget their sacrifice…
-------
Edited/new name December 21, 2025
echoes of the metronome
during Moment of Honor (Вшануй), at 9:00am
daily in Ukraine
https://www.instagram.com/moment_of_honor/
“We are a team that promotes the Minute of Silence,
and the culture of remembrance.
Inspired by Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh”
Edited November 17, 2025
no minute of silence – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/11/no-minute-of-silence-v2.html
based on an Instagram post by Julia Kochetova,
https://www.instagram.com/seameer/
Edited August 20, 2025
Flying from every flagpole – v5
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/08/flying-from-every-flagpole-v5.html
June 4, 2025
to remember the dead
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/06/to-remember-dead.html
“to remember the dead is to appreciate the living”
Quote by defender about Cheka Fest, June 1, 2025 in Lviv,
https://www.instagram.com/cheka.fest/
where 2,000 participants remembered fallen
combat medic Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh, who died May 29, 2024,
days before her 26th birthday on June 1, 2024.
Edited May 22, 2025
You hold each of them so closely – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/05/you-hold-each-of-them-so-closely-v2.html
a video (https://www.instagram.com/p/DHlbX7MtEjg/) of Ukrainian women defenders making Ukrainian Easter eggs with a picture of their fallen comrade, combat medic Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh on the table. Iryna’s mother, Oksana, led them in the master class, making the eggs.
sisters in arms – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/04/sisters-in-arms-v3.html
written after reading post by defender of Ukraine
about serving as a woman in the army,
for International Women’s Day, March 8, 2025
February 27, 2025
touching bleeding flesh
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/touching-bleeding-flesh-defender.html
(written by a decorated medic on the front lines in Ukraine)
Edited February 26, 2025
touching bleeding flesh – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/touching-bleeding-flesh-v2.html
Edited February 26, 2025
The present memory of that day – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-present-memory-of-that-day-v2.html
Memory of February 24, 2022, as described by a defender of Ukraine
edited February 15, 2025
Three years of terror, of genocide – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/three-years-of-terror-genocide-v2.html
Edited January 13, 2025
Sacred Days – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/01/sacred-days-v3.html
Edited November 29, 2024
Designs of their culture – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/11/designs-of-their-culture-v3.html
Edited May 24, 2024
A cloak of the dead – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/a-cloak-of-dead-v2.html
All of my poems, photographs, and
videos are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004,
2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017,
2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. All rights are reserved.
Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com)
for usage. See my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com
Poetry Where You Live.
poetry, Ukraine, defenders, victory, peace, Stand With
Ukraine, Glory to the Heroes, culture, identity, unity, love, spirit, legacy,
Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian, Moment of Honor, Iryna Tsybukh,
#poetry #StandWithUkraine #Ukraine #Defenders #Victory
#Peace #GlorytotheHeroes #culture #identity #unity #love #spirit #legacy
#TarasShevchenko #Ukrainian #MomentofHonor #Cheka #IrynaTsybukh
Silence speaks light each day…
Their world stops for a minute,
sacred reverence, honor…
They stand in silence, together,
with those who will not return…
Crossing time and space…
Wailing through the silence,
off the black top, living buildings…
Announcing their identity as a people,
bleeding into their hearts…
As a nation, as a people,
in grief, in honor, reverence,
for their fallen, for their heroes…
Speaking their name in signs,
never to forget their sacrifice…
-------
Edited/new name December 21, 2025
echoes of the metronome
https://www.instagram.com/moment_of_honor/
“We are a team that promotes the Minute of Silence,
and the culture of remembrance.
Inspired by Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh”
Edited November 17, 2025
no minute of silence – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/11/no-minute-of-silence-v2.html
based on an Instagram post by Julia Kochetova,
https://www.instagram.com/seameer/
Edited August 20, 2025
Flying from every flagpole – v5
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/08/flying-from-every-flagpole-v5.html
June 4, 2025
to remember the dead
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/06/to-remember-dead.html
“to remember the dead is to appreciate the living”
Quote by defender about Cheka Fest, June 1, 2025 in Lviv,
https://www.instagram.com/cheka.fest/
where 2,000 participants remembered fallen
combat medic Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh, who died May 29, 2024,
days before her 26th birthday on June 1, 2024.
Edited May 22, 2025
You hold each of them so closely – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/05/you-hold-each-of-them-so-closely-v2.html
a video (https://www.instagram.com/p/DHlbX7MtEjg/) of Ukrainian women defenders making Ukrainian Easter eggs with a picture of their fallen comrade, combat medic Iryna "Cheka" Tsybukh on the table. Iryna’s mother, Oksana, led them in the master class, making the eggs.
sisters in arms – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/04/sisters-in-arms-v3.html
written after reading post by defender of Ukraine
about serving as a woman in the army,
for International Women’s Day, March 8, 2025
February 27, 2025
touching bleeding flesh
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/touching-bleeding-flesh-defender.html
(written by a decorated medic on the front lines in Ukraine)
Edited February 26, 2025
touching bleeding flesh – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/touching-bleeding-flesh-v2.html
Edited February 26, 2025
The present memory of that day – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-present-memory-of-that-day-v2.html
Memory of February 24, 2022, as described by a defender of Ukraine
edited February 15, 2025
Three years of terror, of genocide – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/three-years-of-terror-genocide-v2.html
Edited January 13, 2025
Sacred Days – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/01/sacred-days-v3.html
Edited November 29, 2024
Designs of their culture – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/11/designs-of-their-culture-v3.html
Edited May 24, 2024
A cloak of the dead – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/a-cloak-of-dead-v2.html
Poetry Where You Live.
