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 twelve years 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, united,
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, ... Their 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 June 19, 2026
Their best sons and daughters – v5
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/06/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v5.html
Repost January 17, 2026
Their best sons and daughters – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/01/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v4.html
Edited November 24, 2025
Their best sons and daughters – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/11/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v4.html
Edited September 21, 2024
Their best sons and daughters – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v3.html
September 20, 2024
Human life unimportant…
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/human-life-unimportant.html
Edited August 1, 2024
Resolve personified – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/resolve-personified-v3.html
Edited September 19, 2024
Let Ukraine Strike the Archers – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/let-ukraine-strike-archers-v2.html
Edited September 17, 2024
Let Ukraine Strike Back – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/let-ukraine-strike-back-v3.html
Edited September 18, 2024
Their best sons and daughters – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v2.html
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
“Today my blue and yellow flag is stained with the blood of the best sons and daughters of the Ukrainian nation, trampled by the dirty boots of the Russian soldier, covered in mud from explosion in the trenches, carefully folded and hidden from the occupiers in Ukrainian black soil.
&
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 September 10, 2024
The Flag of their Independence – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-flag-of-their-independence-v2.html
Edited September 8, 2024
Trampled, beaten, yet unbowed – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/trampled-beaten-yet-unbowed-v2.html
Edited September 6, 2024
Flying from every flagpole – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/flying-from-every-flagpole-v2.html
National Day of Remembrance – August 29, 2024
Ukraine Independence Day – August 24, 2024
Ukraine National Flag Day – August 23, 2024
&
Edited September 10, 2024
Freezing in the Darkness – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/freezing-in-darkness-long-brutal-winter.html
Edited September 10, 2024
Streets of their cities run red with blood – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/streets-of-their-cities-run-red-with.html
September 10, 2024
Let Ukraine Strike Back
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/let-ukraine-strike-back.html
September 10, 2024
The stain of innocent blood – v5
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-stain-of-innocent-blood-v5.html
Edited September 10, 2024
A just peace must rise – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/a-just-peace-must-rise-v4.html
Edited August 30, 2024
The dead do not yet rest in peace – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-dead-do-not-yet-rest-in-peace-v2.html
August 29, 2014
Edited August 28, 2024
The whisper of the dead – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-whisper-of-dead-v2.html
July 16, 2024
The Sound of Lviv Cemetery
https://x.com/United24media/status/1813323219954241935
X (formerly Twitter) post by United24 Media
edited August 27, 2024
The stain of innocent blood – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-stain-of-innocent-blood-v4.html
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
Edited August 19, 2024
The dead cry out – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-dead-cry-out-v2.html
Edited August 1, 2024
Resolve personified – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/resolve-personified-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, 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, 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
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…
after twelve years of terror, of destruction,
of genocide, of blood in the streets…
Endless attacks by their enemy,
killing everything in their path…
of these people, this nation, lost,
taken by the slaughter, the carnage…
Anguished cries in shelters, under arms,
constant missile sirens, terror unleashed…
from their own paths, their freedom,
taking up arms against their enemy…
Resolute in their shared struggle, united,
protecting this land that they love…
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…
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…
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 June 19, 2026
Their best sons and daughters – v5
Their best sons and daughters – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/01/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v4.html
Edited November 24, 2025
Their best sons and daughters – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/11/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v4.html
Edited September 21, 2024
Their best sons and daughters – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v3.html
September 20, 2024
Human life unimportant…
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/human-life-unimportant.html
Edited August 1, 2024
Resolve personified – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/resolve-personified-v3.html
Edited September 19, 2024
Let Ukraine Strike the Archers – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/let-ukraine-strike-archers-v2.html
Edited September 17, 2024
Let Ukraine Strike Back – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/let-ukraine-strike-back-v3.html
Edited September 18, 2024
Their best sons and daughters – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/their-best-sons-and-daughters-v2.html
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
“Today my blue and yellow flag is stained with the blood of the best sons and daughters of the Ukrainian nation, trampled by the dirty boots of the Russian soldier, covered in mud from explosion in the trenches, carefully folded and hidden from the occupiers in Ukrainian black soil.
&
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 September 10, 2024
The Flag of their Independence – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-flag-of-their-independence-v2.html
Edited September 8, 2024
Trampled, beaten, yet unbowed – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/trampled-beaten-yet-unbowed-v2.html
Edited September 6, 2024
Flying from every flagpole – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/flying-from-every-flagpole-v2.html
National Day of Remembrance – August 29, 2024
Ukraine Independence Day – August 24, 2024
Ukraine National Flag Day – August 23, 2024
&
Edited September 10, 2024
Freezing in the Darkness – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/freezing-in-darkness-long-brutal-winter.html
Edited September 10, 2024
Streets of their cities run red with blood – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/streets-of-their-cities-run-red-with.html
September 10, 2024
Let Ukraine Strike Back
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/let-ukraine-strike-back.html
September 10, 2024
The stain of innocent blood – v5
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-stain-of-innocent-blood-v5.html
Edited September 10, 2024
A just peace must rise – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/a-just-peace-must-rise-v4.html
Edited August 30, 2024
The dead do not yet rest in peace – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-dead-do-not-yet-rest-in-peace-v2.html
August 29, 2014
Edited August 28, 2024
The whisper of the dead – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-whisper-of-dead-v2.html
July 16, 2024
The Sound of Lviv Cemetery
https://x.com/United24media/status/1813323219954241935
X (formerly Twitter) post by United24 Media
edited August 27, 2024
The stain of innocent blood – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-stain-of-innocent-blood-v4.html
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
Edited August 19, 2024
The dead cry out – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/the-dead-cry-out-v2.html
Edited August 1, 2024
Resolve personified – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/08/resolve-personified-v3.html
Poetry Where You Live.
#poetry #Ukraine #God #prayer #war #tragedy #terror #genocide #Russia #peace #Poltava #Kharkiv #Kyiv #Lviv #DayofRemembrance #Ilovaisk
