second skin,
a breath-prayer,
woven steel armor,
a mantle of the fallen
living shield of protection,
an embroidered breastplate...
Honored warriors descending
roused from their rest in Valhalla
a hand-woven love, their memory,
an embroidered shirt, Vyshyvanka,
The threads of their fibers, memory
woven with their precious blood,
All Ukrainians march with them,
destroying their enemy, terror,
as bombs fall upon them,
protecting the warriors,
heroes in their stories
their revered dead
Every one…
Edited, May 19, 2026
The Mantle of the Dead – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-mantle-of-dead-v2.html
New name, May 19, 2026
The Mantle of the Dead
Edited December 1, 2025
A cloak of the dead – v3
Your heroes are
cloaking every warrior, as if with a new
Vyshyvanka,
against your skin, under the armor, the
white fabric's
embroidery has been woven with threads
of the blood of
the fallen, protecting each of you.
They are your
shield, your invisible armor.
I tried to write
the poem in the shape of a
Ukrainian Easter
Egg, a Pysanky.
Both are so
symbolic of Ukraine, the independent
identity of your
culture, just as your unique language and history are.
Edited May 24,
2024
A cloak of the
dead – v2
The poem is a prayer
for Ukraine.
May 23, 2024
A cloak of the dead
Edited May 24, 2024
Death from the skies – v2
Edited May 24, 2024
Lord, watch over these heroes – v2
Edited May 24, 2024
Designs of their culture – v2
May 23, 2024
X post by The Angry Cat
“Ukrainians don't die, they go to Valhalla.”
May 23, 2024
Video posted by Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces
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, 2025, and 2026. 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, victory, hope, courage, heroes, victory, Pysanky, Vyshyvanka,
Valhalla, protection, armor, Vyshyvanka Day, honor,
#Poetry
#Ukraine #victory #hope #courage #heroes #victory #Pysanky #Vyshyvanka
#Valhalla #protection #armor #VyshyvankaDay #honor
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