In these #Harrowing #Hours #Ukraine #Kyiv #shahed #missiles #terror #genocide #shelter #sleep #night #PTSD

Day after day, year upon year,
in these harrowing hours
in the watches of the night
Safety too far to run to,
an oasis for only some...
Sheltering in place, their homes,
hunkered down in their corridors
when terror, when the Shaheds come...
 
Constantly on alert,
Their sounds now so familiar -
the roar of the missiles,
the whine of the drones,
taunting them from their rest -
awake on their mats...
holding their breaths
when sleep will not come...
 
A nation, a people on guard
in these harrowing moments,
a bag at the ready
ever ready to run
to head for shelter
Unless there is no time
for safety, for escape,
when the Moskals come...
 
They are a people on edge,
exhausted in their spirits
by years of war, terror,
holding onto humanity
waiting in their bathtubs,
with clothes to be presentable,
Just in case...
Hoping sleep will come...
 
----------
Edited July 7, 2026
In these Harrowing Hours
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/07/in-these-harrowing-hours.html
Russian attacks on Kyiv apartment buildings
July 2, 2026
Marching to their death
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/07/marching-to-their-death.html
New Russian soldiers have about a 20-minute life expectancy 
on the front lines in Ukraine. 
Edited July 1, 2026
Breaking the chains of empire - v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/07/breaking-chains-of-empire-v2.html
Edited June 24, 2026
Resolve personified – v7
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/06/resolve-personified-v7.html
Edited March 3, 2026
Taras saw this future – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2026/03/taras-saw-this-future-v3.html
July 20, 2024
Resolve personified
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/07/resolve-personified.html
Edited July 20, 2024
A just peace must rise – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/07/a-just-peace-must-rise-v3.html
June 29, 2024
X post by Dmytro Kuleba, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine
https://x.com/DmytroKuleba/status/1806999435559289050
at @DubrovnikForum in Croatia
 
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, 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.
 
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