“болить”, “it hurts”, a comment, an emoji,
speaking so much without words
for every comrade taken, fallen
in this awful war, each memory
of valor lost to chaos, to murder,
to the whims of the madman
to the terror of the invasion,
the war on their sovereign land...
far too many to number,
but each known by name
to loved ones, those whom
they fought beside,
they struggled with to regain
their country’s freedom
in the crucible of those early months
when things were moving quickly...
“болить”, “it hurts”, speaking volumes...
Layered with emotion, feelings,
writing the stories behind each name
of those they each remember,
carved in honor, in eternal memory
of two who were lost freeing Kharkiv -
“Cayman” and “Swede” on this date -
Four years ago....
-----------
September 7, 2026
Болить, it hurts
Instagram post by Khrystyna Boychuk,
defender of Ukraine
https://www.instagram.com/stories/kydrava_/3980994217881514328/
Edited June 19, 2026
Their best sons and daughters – v5
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/06/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v5.html
Edited February 19, 2026
You hold each of them so closely – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/02/you-hold-each-of-them-so-closely-v3.html
February 19, 2026
Every. Single. Day.
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/02/every-single-day.html
Instagram post by Olena_Ivanenko_rij
https://www.instagram.com/stories/olena_ivanenko_rij/3835849990073791731/
“Хвилина памʼяті
кожен день 9:00 честь”
“A moment of remembrance
remembered the brothers I miss so much
every day 9:00 honor.”
Edited February 18, 2026
to remember the dead – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/02/to-remember-dead-v2.html
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/02/to-remember-dead-v2.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/
September 17, 2024
Their best sons and daughters
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/their-best-sons-and-daughters.html
August 23, 2024
Facebook post by Christina Kydrava:
https://www.facebook.com/kydrava1/posts/pfbid0cJ8NH19VAM1SsZKv1ythBzY3tnrNkFBHyqPTWmyRFF2BBdKPa3SskaE5Rd76fqbFl
April 18, 2023 Twitter post by @Ferlain
https://x.com/ferlain/status/1648256092634226688
quotes from Christina Kydrava, at the time of her 30th birthday…
“I am not afraid of my death. I accept it. But I am afraid to lose the best sons and daughters of Ukraine. No one wants to pass this war to our descendants… I am living a postponed life now. If we don’t work as hard as it is only possible now there won’t be a second chance.”
Edited August 27, 2024
Streets of Kharkiv run red with blood – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/streets-of-kharkiv-run-red-with-blood-v2.html
Edited September 1, 2024
Too close to the border – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/too-close-to-border-v3.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, 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
speaking so much without words
for every comrade taken, fallen
in this awful war, each memory
of valor lost to chaos, to murder,
to the whims of the madman
to the terror of the invasion,
the war on their sovereign land...
but each known by name
to loved ones, those whom
they fought beside,
they struggled with to regain
their country’s freedom
in the crucible of those early months
when things were moving quickly...
Layered with emotion, feelings,
writing the stories behind each name
of those they each remember,
carved in honor, in eternal memory
of two who were lost freeing Kharkiv -
“Cayman” and “Swede” on this date -
Four years ago....
September 7, 2026
Болить, it hurts
https://www.instagram.com/stories/kydrava_/3980994217881514328/
Edited June 19, 2026
Their best sons and daughters – v5
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/06/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v5.html
Edited February 19, 2026
You hold each of them so closely – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/02/you-hold-each-of-them-so-closely-v3.html
February 19, 2026
Every. Single. Day.
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/02/every-single-day.html
Instagram post by Olena_Ivanenko_rij
https://www.instagram.com/stories/olena_ivanenko_rij/3835849990073791731/
“Хвилина памʼяті
кожен день 9:00 честь”
“A moment of remembrance
remembered the brothers I miss so much
every day 9:00 honor.”
Edited February 18, 2026
to remember the dead – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/02/to-remember-dead-v2.html
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/02/to-remember-dead-v2.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/
September 17, 2024
Their best sons and daughters
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/their-best-sons-and-daughters.html
August 23, 2024
Facebook post by Christina Kydrava:
https://www.facebook.com/kydrava1/posts/pfbid0cJ8NH19VAM1SsZKv1ythBzY3tnrNkFBHyqPTWmyRFF2BBdKPa3SskaE5Rd76fqbFl
April 18, 2023 Twitter post by @Ferlain
https://x.com/ferlain/status/1648256092634226688
quotes from Christina Kydrava, at the time of her 30th birthday…
“I am not afraid of my death. I accept it. But I am afraid to lose the best sons and daughters of Ukraine. No one wants to pass this war to our descendants… I am living a postponed life now. If we don’t work as hard as it is only possible now there won’t be a second chance.”
Edited August 27, 2024
Streets of Kharkiv run red with blood – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/streets-of-kharkiv-run-red-with-blood-v2.html
Edited September 1, 2024
Too close to the border – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/too-close-to-border-v3.html
Poetry Where You Live.
#poetry #Ukraine #God #prayer #war #tragedy #terror #genocide #Russia #peace #Poltava #Kharkiv #Kyiv #Lviv #DayofRemembrance #Ilovaisk
