touching bleeding flesh – v2

the reality of these days, these years,
nothing able to be captured in videos,
sterile pieces of remembrance,
commemorating an anniversary, 
when terror came to this land,
in the blare of air raid sirens,
growl of the tanks, screams
of the missiles, drones incoming...
 
nothing antiseptic, silent and clean,
visceral, every present, this moment,
a shard cut within them, shrapnel carried,
in our bleeding flesh, our bodies,
the memory present of that day,
impossible to describe to others,
who have not lived it, reality,
who cannot understand the pain...
 
touching bleeding flesh, painful,
of loved ones, in pain, in the moment,
of comrades, civilians, explosions,
on the ground, in the blood-stained dust,
in the quagmire of these moments, 
not in seats of power, across the miles,
living in the visceral reality, each moment, 
memories alive, ever present...
 
shards cutting into flesh, shrapnel, 
buried deep within them, present,
of each moment carried with them,
the presence of their heroes, their dead,
walking ever with them, flesh of their flesh,
in the crucible of this now, these moments, 
crying from their reality, their pain, 
the memory of that day, present,
Memories that may never fade... 
 
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Edited February 26, 2025
touching bleeding flesh – v2
 
"The present memory of that day" is both 2/24/2022 for Ukraine and Ukrainians
and 2/14/1991 for me personally. I am using my experience of detailed visceral
images of lifting the blood and brains of my father to give even a touch of
authenticity to this poem, merging my conversation with one defender and
the words of that other defender yesterday to write "touching bleeding flesh "
&
Edited February 26, 2025
The present memory of that day – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-present-memory-of-that-day-v2.html
February 25, 2025
Memory of February 24, 2022
as described by defender of Ukraine 
&
edited February 15, 2025
Three years of terror, of genocide – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/02/three-years-of-terror-genocide-v2.html
March 5, 2022
Don’t give Ukraine to the Madman
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/03/dont-give-ukraine-to-madman.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 all 53,000+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
 
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poetry, Ukraine, Russia, NATO, war, invasion, Putin, terror, genocide, Crimea, 1000 Days, Three Years, Europe, Zelenskyy, Trump,
 
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