Дети – v5 #poetry #Russia #genocide #children #Mariupol #murder #terror #Ukraine

A prayer written on the pavement in Russian,
Дети, Children! Діти. A plea, a word,
a shout of protection over them, a sanctuary,
believing still that they would be safe,
hiding in their makeshift shelter.
But we should have known our enemy,
the choice they made that day -
to butcher the innocents…
 
This moment of pure depravity, діти,
(now repeated) premeditated murder,
Seared in our memory, but numbed…
The horror becomes too frequent…
That should have been all we needed, Дети,
for every nation-state to act, to support them,
Evil, they released that awful day in the theater
their refuge, their hiding place for children…
 
On the four-year anniversary of terror, Дети,
Cancer hospitals, apartment buildings, and children
targeted by Russia’s FPV drones, human safaris,
targeting one-year-olds on the street in Kherson,
daily attacks, the same evil, the same enemy.
But we remain complicit, appeasement, діти,
We draw red lines for us not to cross,
never fully Standing with Ukraine…
 
That one act of terror, war crimes, діти,
the inhumanity of Russia, of Putin,
Unrelenting terror, more than mere war,
crimes against humanity, innocent children,
on the hiding place of women and children,
bombing their seemingly safe refuge, Дети!
innocent blood taken that day, in genocide,
and yet we have remained silent…
 
Four years ago today, normalized terror,
But then we watched in shock,
Only a month into the invasion, then,
We learned the truth about Russia,
We should have acted long ago
We should have stood with Ukraine…
Crying, “Дети!”, діти! was not enough
to save the innocent children…
 
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Edited March 16, 2026
Дети – v5
 
March 16, 2022 – Bombing of Donetsk Academic Regional Drama Theatre in Mariupol
Note: Дети is a Russian word, and діти is a Ukrainian word. I included both, because the sign on the ground in front of the Theatre was Russian but the cost was Ukraine’s children. I purposely used Russian, Ukrainian, and English to multiply the pain of that horrible day 4 years ago today in the poem. Many Ukrainians may not like the inclusion of the Russian word, but I pray they understand I included it to reference back to Russia’s inhumanity in attacking children in the sanctuary of the Theatre.
Edited August 28, 2025
July 8, 2024 – Attack on Okhmatdyt National Children’s Specialized Hospital, Kyiv
April 4, 2025 – Shelling of the playground in Kryvyi Rih
August 28, 2025
the cost of silence measured in children’s lives
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-cost-of-silence-measured-in.html
Edited August 25, 2025
The cauldrons of Hell – 2 – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-cauldrons-of-hell-2-v2.html
Edited August 21, 2025
Putin walked on a carpet of blood – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/08/putin-walked-on-carpet-of-blood-v2.html
Edited July 12, 2025
Unrelenting Terror – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/07/unrelenting-terror-v2.html
Edited April 14, 2025
Screaming into the Void – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/04/screaming-into-void-v3.html
Revised April 11, 2025
Kryvyi Rih – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/04/kryvyi-rih-v2-kryvyi-rih-not-just.html
Edited December 12, 2024
The blood of the dead in Bucha – v6
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-blood-of-dead-in-bucha-v6.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, 202 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026. All rights are reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
 
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poetry, Ukraine, Russia, Putin, murder, terror, genocide, children,
 
#poetry #Russia #genocide #children #Mariupol #murder #terror #Ukraine