"Twilight" in Ukraine

Mass Grave by Church in Ukraine

       Warning: For normal caring humans evil is hard to countenance. Denial an emotional protection against that reality. Before Putin's invasion even in Ukraine the bulk of citizenry lived in denial that this evil would fall on them in these modern times in Europe. Putin's invasion of Ukraine now turns even uglier and sadly predictable. Obvious evidence of apparent genocide appears as dead civilians sprawl where murdered along a Bucha street. The bodies of the murdered civilians left where executed by retreating Russian soldiers. As usual Putin and the Kremlin lie, claiming that the Ukrainians staged the scenes with actors. Aerial footage, eyewitness accounts and bound and executed Ukrainian citizens testify to the truth. German intelligence intercepted a Russian soldier bragging how he murdered an unarmed civilian bicyclist.         

            One can only look at such scenes so long before turning away or developing a caring detachment. By caring detachment I mean understanding how pathologically evil Putin is. He calculated that the free world including America and NATO would do little to interfere, and he calculated that Ukraine's capitol Kyiv would fall in days. He's been surprised on both counts.

    Unfortunately Putin understands only one thing. Violence. Sanctions sound nice, but nice has long since passed. Will the Free World now take off it's gloves and join the fight? For we will have to fight Putin sooner or later. The Ukrainian armed forces have proven themselves to be courageous and effective in spite of being outgunned. Let's send the Ukrainian people everything they need. Even consider forming an international fighting force to tip the balance in favor of Ukraine. Evil has arrived in Ukraine. Let's not wait for evil to come to the next country or to here. Ps: Can't we at least open a humanitarian corridor to Mariupol. Or will we watch Putin starve out the Ukrainian civilians trapped there?

    Evil likes to hide beneath ostentatious robes of piety. Accused of moral crimes by 300 leaders of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church has vociferously supported Putin's invasion of Ukraine. In a recent sermon he urged followers to respect official power, meaning Putin, instead of following the teachings of Christ. The teachings of Christ being peace and love. This cleric supports the invasion and murder of other Greek Orthodox members the dominant religion in Ukraine. As Lord Acton observed long ago, "Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power, corrupts absolutely."

        The following poem highlights a sad, caring detachment. The poem starts while I serenely observe twilight as light fades and darkness gathers.

Twilight

After the news,

I look through

 The glass

Watch

Twilight’s soft

Pause,

Between

Day’s in-breath

And

Night’s exhalation;

As color drains

Into shadowy grays

Tree trunks grow black

While

Branching limbs

Disappear

Into the height of 

A  gathering darkness;

I linger in peace here,

While bombs fall over there,

To denude 

Humanity’s illusion 

Of reason;

Demolished as 

 Bullets

Penetrate vibrant life

And genocide

Falls on a ravaged

 Bucha street,

Where bodies

Sprawl amid debris

 Waiting to be 

Bagged like

So many

Fallen leaves;

 But rise, 

Come, rise,

To witness

On the morrow

As night fades

Over a mound

Of Ukrainian loam

Where a deep rooted,

Sunflower,

Raises a 

Nodding head,

Turns full face up

To embrace morning’s light,

Offers golden petals

To the full blossomed sun

While an orphaned girl 

                                                Named Hope

                                                    Stands, to look on

                                                And

                                                 Wonder;

            To hear the poem read click on the video below.

    

    Its frustrating to see carnage falling on the Ukrainian people. Also uplifting to see how valiant and courageous their willingness to fight the evil of tyranny. Seems that there's little most of us can do other than donate a little money and encourage our government's efforts. But that should not be minimized no matter how seemingly small the sum for every dollar donated from the less wealthy also carries a valuable intangible. Many people worldwide cared enough to give. Below is a picture a friend shared of her cat and a Sun Flower used to raise money for the Ukrainian people. (Metcalf's grocery store collected five dollars donation for each sun flower.)

                       

                         Thanks for joining me, may peace and serenity be yours!

Anthony G. Hendricks, author, poet, nature lover -- naturally;  Buddha Blues, just published with a great cover created by his Sister Judith; available at Amazon as print on demand or as an e book at Amazon or Kobo. With formatting help on cover and interior by Woven Red. Other books The Wasteland Revisited, a book length poem about the dystopia causing global warming; available as an e book at Amazon; A Journey In The Human Dilemma, collected poetry and prose; trade paper back only available through the author. 

Credits: Image of Church in Bucha with Mass Grave, Sergei Supinsky, Getty Images:

PublicDomain.net with Sunflower beside the title "Twilight", and painted sunflower and picture of the girl.
Picture of patriarch Kirill, leader of the Russian Orthodox Church, from Yahoo News.

Picture of Cat with Sun Flower by my friend Linda.