#Ukraina – v3 #Ukraine #TarasShevchenko #love #reverence #faithful #feminine #women

Feminine, sacred,
Ukraina, not Ukraine,
more intimate in telling,
in offering her a warning,
caring for her as he does,
he loved his dear Ukraina…
 
She was his mother, his lover,
Ukraine, his one true love, life,
his sister, his north star, eternal,
she was the maiden, the orphan,
so much power, his love, longing,
he felt for his homeland, Ukraina…
 
His love for his lover knew no limit,
in his art, the written word in his life,
caring for her like a father, a brother,
wanting only the best for her, warning,
sharing words from painful experience,
striving to let her know the truth, Ukraina…
 
Ukraine spoken in prayer, a prayer, a dream,
only in the feminine, the heroine of his story,
finding her as she was, independent, reckless,
a harbinger, a witness to her destruction, her pain,
his love poured out in sorrow, seeking, always calling,
resolute against the battle, the struggle, oh sing, Ukraina…
 
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Edited October 23, 2025
Ukraina – v3
 
 
This poem, “Ukraina” is a mini reflection on the way Taras Shevchenko described or felt about women in his writings, starting with his homeland Ukraine itself. His words are Ukraina, a feminine version of land. Maybe that is because he never married. More likely, she was all he thought about. Ukraine’s suffering and her strength, her noble history and the future he prayed for through his words are about a living person. That is how strongly he felt.
 
His language goes to women as sister, as daughter, as wife, as maiden, as lover, as lonely, neglected orphans, as the heart of his people. He feared for them and desired the best for them and longed for a better day for all of them, both personal and allegorical. His women characters and references truly embody and manifest his love for Ukraine.
 
This reverence rings all the more true in today’s circumstance, as, by necessity and choice, it is both the best sons and daughters who are standing up against the tyranny, the terror, the attempts at genocide being carried out by Russia. How proud Shevchenko must be.
December 3, 2024
Ukraina
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/12/ukraina.html
Edited October 30, 2024
Had she known – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/had-she-known-v2.html
after poem, “Had she known”,
based on the poem, “The Poplar”,
about a maiden’s Kozak lover
by Taras Shevchenko
Written and posted October 2, 2024
Do the Kobzars sing
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/do-kobzars-sing_23.html
after poem, “the suffering of Ukraine”,
based on the Dedication to “The Kobzar”,
by Taras Shevchenko
Edited October 30, 2024
Sing to me, Taras – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/sing-to-me-taras-v2.html
a prayer to Taras Shevchenko
Edited and posted October 17, 2024
Channeling Taras – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/channeling-taras-v2_26.html
About Taras Shevchenko speaking to my spirit,
through his life and poetry
 
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, 202 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, God, prayer, war, terror, genocide, Russia, peace, victory, Taras Shevchenko, Ukrainian, freedom, independence, history, glory, pain, serfdom, muse, prison,
 
#poetry #Ukraine #God #prayer #war #terror #genocide #Russia #peace #victory #TarasShevchenko #Taras #Shevchenko #muse #Ukrainian #glory #serfdom #prison #freedom #independence #history