When we stepped back from the brink – v3

I can understand the resistance,
the limits on their defensive actions,
they are pawns in the larger match,
of the superpowers, the warlords,
moving pieces on the chessboard,
acting like they are merely proxies…
 
A half-truth of an unprovoked war,
a clash of different ideologies,
perception become reality,
choices made between them,
the march ever eastward,
peril its own reward…
 
A murmur of reticence,
I hear a gasp of recognition,
how can a lasting peace,
rise in the center of Europe,
the fear of NATO on its doorstep,
is anathema to a nation state…
 
Like nuclear weapons in Cuba,
so many decades ago in history,
the same brinksmanship, rhetoric,
the perception our reality, a curse,
they see a knife poised against them,
along miles of border that they share….
 
A light must rise between them,
a way through the rushing waters,
terror must be brought to heel,
but we need a corollary in this moment,
to when Khrushchev and Kennedy
each stepped back from the brink…
 
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Edited June 4, 2024
When we stepped back from the brink – v3
 
Analog of Ukraine membership in NATO
to Cuban Missile Crisis
Quote attributed to Lee Atwater,
“Perception is reality.”
Quote attributed to Gustave Flaubert
“There is no truth. There is only perception.”
Quote attributed to Aldous Huxley,
“There are things known and there are things unknown,
and in between are the doors of perception.”
Quote attributed to George Monbiot
“What you see is not what others see.
We inhabit parallel worlds of perception,
bounded by our interests and experience.
What is obvious to some is invisible to others.”
&
Edited June 4, 2024
When we stepped back from the brink – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/06/when-we-stepped-back-from-brink-v2.html
Edited June 4, 2024
Crying for Crimea – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/06/crying-for-crimea-v2.html
Russia’s war of aggression against started with Crimea
in February and March 2014, with the invasion of the green men,
but Crimea is complicated, because the Russian Black Sea Fleet
has been in Sevastopol since 1783…
April 11, 2014
Crying for Crimea
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2014/04/crying-for-crimea.html
&
Edited June 4, 2024
A light to the world – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/06/a-light-for-world-v2.html
June 4, 2024
When we stepped back from the brink
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/06/when-we-stepped-back-from-brink.html
&
June 4, 2024
A light for the world
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/06/they-are-light-for-world-in-this-moment.html
Edited May 28, 2024
In the crucible of history – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/in-crucible-of-history-v2.html
About President Volodymyr Zelenskyy /
Володимир Зеленський, @ZelenskyyUa
and the Ukrainian people
May 20, 2024
X post by @TetyanaUkrainka
and my responses
&
May 22, 2024
The streets of Kharkiv run red with the blood
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-streets-of-kharkiv-run-red-with.html
May 22, 2024
X Post by @IrynaVolchuk.
"The streets of Kharkiv run red with the blood of innocents, victims of the genocide being perpetrated by russia."
(Forwarded by me to POTUS)
&
May 20, 2024
Do the mothers in Russia know? – v7 (converting Ukrainian back to English)
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/do-mothers-in-russia-know-v7.html
Edited May 20, 2024
Чи знають матері в Росії? – v6 (in Ukrainian)
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/v6.html
Edited May 20, 2024
Знают ли мамы в России? – v5 (in Russian)
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/v5.html
May 20, 2024
Do the mothers in Russia know? – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/do-mothers-in-russia-know-v4.html
(In English)
&
Edited/merged May 20, 2024
Free the hands of our ally – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/free-hands-of-our-ally-v2.html
Edited May 20, 2024
While the bombers are in the air – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/while-bombers-are-in-air-v2.html
Edited May 20, 2024
Blood of the innocents – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/blood-of-innocents-v2.html
Edited May 20, 2024
We grieve for the innocents – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/we-grieve-for-innocents-v2.html
&
Edited May 16, 2024
Чи знають матері в #Росії? – v3 (in Ukrainian)
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/v3.html
Edited May 16, 2024
Знают ли мамы в России? – v2 (in Russian)
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/v2.html
May 15, 2024
Do mothers in Russia know?
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/blog-post.html
(in English and Russian)
&
May 13, 2024
Hasten Ukraine’s Victory
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/05/hasten-ukraines-victory.html
Edited April 29, 2024
No more half-measures - v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/04/no-more-half-measures-v2.html
April 29, 2024
Defeated by half-measures
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/04/defeated-by-half-measures.html
April 29, 2024
Edited April 22, 2024
Ukraine cannot wait – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/04/ukraine-cannot-wait-v3.html
April 4, 2024
a proxy bleeding
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/04/a-proxy-bleeding.html
Edited April 2, 2024
Ukraine must win – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/04/ukraine-must-win-v3.html
Edited March 31, 2024
The blood of the dead of Bucha – v4
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-blood-of-dead-in-bucha-v4.html
&
Edited November 19, 2023
Crying for Crimea, for Ukraine – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2023/11/crying-for-crimea-for-ukraine-v2_19.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, and 2024. 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.
 
Poetry, Ukraine, victory, hope, courage, heroes, US, NATO, EU, proxy, terror, genocide, victory, Volodymyr Zelenskyy
 
#Poetry #Ukraine #victory #hope #courage #heroes #country #people #US #NATO #EU #proxy #terror #genocide #victory #VolodymyrZelenskyy #LetUkraineStrikeBack
 
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Poetry, Ukraine, victory, hope, courage, US, NATO, EU, terror, genocide, peace, Russia, Khrushchev, Kennedy, Cuban Missile Crisis,
 
#Poetry #Ukraine #victory #hope #courage #US #NATO #EU #terror #genocide #peace #Russia  #Khrushchev #Kennedy #CubanMissileCrisis