a long night ahead – v4 #poetry #poem #Ukraine #terror #genocide #Russia #Putin #StandWithUkraine #SanctionRussia #ArmUkraine #DefeatRussia #Kyiv #Kramatorsk #Odesa #Kharkiv #ballisticmissiles #drones

A year ago, this poem title seemed novel
Something I should report on
the escalation of the attacks
were falling on the capital,
the nation was on edge...
 
What was once measured
has become a daily terror
in the night and in the daylight
air raid sirens incessant
pausing only for attacks...
 
Too many attacks, too much,
falling from the news stories,
failing to capture the world’s attention,
so many crimes, crises, trauma,
natural disasters in our consciousness…
 
But Russia’s reign of terror keeps repeating,
another day, a night of aerial attacks,
ballistic missiles with no interceptors...
We must never forget these people,
We must give them what they need…
 
Premeditated murder, mayhem,
the reign of terror unending,
glide bombs, Shaheds and other drones,
the threat of Russian genocide
ever present with them…
 
A nation in peril, on edge,
the Ukrainian people exhausted...
Words of truth, understatement,
not sleeping in their beds,
A long night ahead…
 
Sleeping in bomb shelters -  
If they have time to run -
in bathtubs, strong corridors,
listening to whistles of the Shaheds,
angry missiles sent to destroy them…
 
a long night ahead,
a phrase too often repeated,
the danger of Russian genocide
nightly terror of Putin
ever present with them…
 
---------------
Edited August 31, 2026
A long night ahead – v4
 
Edited June 17, 2025
a long night ahead – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/06/a-long-night-ahead_17.html
constant attack on Kyiv, on far too many cities in Ukraine
Edited June 9, 2025
Escalation – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/06/escalation-v2.html
Edited June 8, 2025
asymmetric warfare – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/06/asymmetric-warfare-v2.html
Edited June 8, 2025
premeditated murder – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/06/premeditated-murder-v2.html
Edited May 30, 2025
Why are we silent – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/05/why-are-we-silent-v2.html
Edited May 29, 2025
Weakening Russia – v3
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2025/05/weakening-russia-v3.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, 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.
 
poetry, poem, Ukraine, US, NATO, EU, terror, America, genocide, Stand With Ukraine, drones, dead, wounded, Russia, Putin, Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Odesa, Kharkiv, ballistic missiles
 
#poetry #poem #Ukraine #terror #genocide #Russia #Putin #StandWithUkraine #SanctionRussia #ArmUkraine #DefeatRussia #Kyiv #Kramatorsk #Odesa #Kharkiv #ballisticmissiles #drones