Each
of them has sacrificed so much already, daily,
so
that we can live in peace, in freedom…
We
are not on the frontlines, in the trenches,
standing
against the terror, the aggressors,
the
imperialist nation state, the madman…
How
great are their nation’s losses,
after
a decade of terror, of destruction,
of
genocide, of blood in the streets…
Endless
attacks by their enemy,
killing
everything in their path…
Their
best sons and daughters,
of
these people, this nation, lost,
taken
by the slaughter, the carnage…
Anguished
cries in shelters, under arms,
constant
missile sirens, terror unleashed…
Time
stands still, frozen, lives being ripped
from
their own paths, their freedom,
taking
up arms against their enemy…
Resolute
in their shared struggle,
protecting
this land that they love…
Their
best sons and daughters,
witnesses
now to the horrors of chaos…
Standing
in defiance against terror,
the
complacency of others, too timid,
to
stand in the gap for all of them…
More
than martyrs, the fallen valor,
They
are heroes of freedom, their nation…
Resolute
against their enemy, sacrificing
so
much, their lives, for all of humanity,
standing
in the gap where we will not tread…
Living
defenders stand at attention, the dead do not yet rest,
until
the enemy is defeated, until there is a just peace
in
their homeland, for posterity, a reawakening…
Their
flag flying over every home, the blue and yellow ablaze…
Only
then will they be at peace, only then will they rest…
Edited November 24, 2025
Their best sons and daughters – v4
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. All of my poems are at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
poetry, Ukraine, God, prayer, war, tragedy, terror, genocide, Russia, peace, Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv, Day of Remembrance, Ilovaisk, Poltava, Let Ukraine Strike Back,
#poetry #Ukraine #God #prayer #war #tragedy #terror #genocide #Russia #peace #Poltava #Kharkiv #Kyiv #Lviv #DayofRemembrance #Ilovaisk
#poetry #Ukraine #God #prayer #war #terror #genocide #peace #StandWithUkraine #valor #martyrs #heroes #sacrifice #GlorytotheHeroes #SlavaUkraini #IrynaTsybukh #Cheka
