The stain of their blood

I can see the scene unfolding…
hushed in the praetorium, the palace,
taking off his clean navy blazer
an aide gathering a basin of water,
taking off his golden cufflinks,
rolling up his starched white sleeves…
 
Two accursed men standing there,
Barabbas and Jesus, different actors,
Putin and Zelenskyy, in this moment,
standing in judgement of the Empire,
its Proconsul at the water basin…
 
Dipping his hands in the waters,
murmuring a lie, a prayer, a confession,
saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood,”
giving the crowd Barabbas/Russia,
sending Jesus/Ukraine to the cross,
for our indifference, the sins of all of us…
 
But no amount of water, no words,
will absolve him of the verdict,
history will judge him eternally,
as he steps away from responsibility,
as he sacrifices innocent blood…
 
Two men in the battle, good and evil,
evil chosen for craven expediency,
the attention span of the moment,
washing his hands eternally,
but he will forever bear the stain,
the curse of innocent blood…
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April 18, 2025
The stain of their blood
 
Statements by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
as peace talks break down because Russia wants war, not peace,
and America seems to be ready to abandon Ukraine…
&
Edited April 14, 2025
Screaming into the Void – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/04/screaming-into-void-v3.html
Palm Sunday massacre in Sumy, Ukraine
Edited March 10, 2025
Betrayal – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/03/betrayal-v3.html
Edited March 6, 2025
we have become what we abhor – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/03/we-have-become-what-we-abhor-v2.html
Edited March 6, 2025
There is no neutrality in genocide – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/03/there-is-no-neutrality-in-genocide-v2.html  
Edited December 12, 2024
The blood of the dead in Bucha – v6
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-blood-of-dead-in-bucha-v6.html
September 10, 2024
The stain of innocent blood – v5
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-stain-of-innocent-blood-v5.html
This poem is about the character Pontius Pilate in the novel, Master and Margarita,
by Mikhail Bulgakov, where Pilate is spending eternity, not in heaven or hell,
but trying to wash the innocent blood Jesus Christ from his hands.
This poem is transferring that same nightmarish judgment on Vladimir Putin
for the innocent blood of the people of Ukraine...
originally drafted April 1, 2022, 38 days into the full-scale invasion
April 1, 2022
The stain of innocent blood
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2022/04/the-stain-of-innocent-blood.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, God, love, Christ, Spirit, Pilate, Bulgakov, Master and Margarita, sin, stain, Putin, Russia, Ukraine, war crimes, innocent blood, America, Trump, Rubio, Good Friday, betrayal,
 
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