Photo made by Vijaleta Saǔchyc
Ukraine I hear from London
[Did you tape up your windows?
Only in one room. All the tape has been bought up]
it’s a privilege
not to have to
tape up my window
from flying glass
of air raids
no one is bombarding this city
[There’s just been a huge explosion,
so the window pane got trembling]
when it’s windy
the sash is snapping
against the frame
like distant shots
i tuck a folded paper
in-between
so that the shots
would not reach me
[About 40 hours, and we’re safe.
I’ll tell you about our “journey” later.
Thank you for being there ????
And take care!]
when the trains pass nearby
i think they carry
tanks and missiles
and i look for the tape
i find its end, prepare
then i force myself
to wake up
from this nightmare
[First I used to freak out about every tiny
knock on the door, now
I freak out about the sound
of suitcase wheels, because
it resembles a flying bomber. What a life,
a blockbuster. But I can still laugh about it,
this means we’ll survive.]
the planes to
Copenhagen or Tallinn
sound like the washing
machine drum
in the basement
where my mind runs
to a shelter
while my body remains
in the room
heavy like pressure
of cargo trains
on the track
[Girls! We may be
shelled by Grads
today. I want to tell you
that I love each of you, and
I’m proud to know you! You are the
best women in this country.
Fight and win! ❤️]
The raindrops
falling on my window
wake me up
like artillery shelling
it’s that season in London
[We’ve managed to leave Kiev
by hitchhiking. Everywhere
there are big traffic jams, lots
of vehicles and soldiers,
and bombers flying.
Take care ❤️]
whatever my English
landlady watches on tv
I hear
[We’re still walking.
We’ll spend the night and,
probably, another day
there. Out there.]
[I’m in Lviv
In a shelter for the evacuated]
[Today we are in Sanok town. We could wash ourselves and eat.
Our arms, backs and legs are nearly dead. But what a
happiness it is to sleep horizontally!]
[We are exhausted both emotionally and
physically, hands are still shaking badly. Our journey to
the safe place, plus a stop in Lviv, took over 60
hours.]
every step on the floor
of this Victorian house
is a hammering
[Explosions again. A shot down
aircraft fell somewhere near
my building, on residential houses.]
London is sleeping.
But we are not.
[We are ready and we aren’t scared]
Only in one room. All the tape has been bought up]
it’s a privilege
not to have to
tape up my window
from flying glass
of air raids
no one is bombarding this city
[There’s just been a huge explosion,
so the window pane got trembling]
when it’s windy
the sash is snapping
against the frame
like distant shots
i tuck a folded paper
in-between
so that the shots
would not reach me
[About 40 hours, and we’re safe.
I’ll tell you about our “journey” later.
Thank you for being there ????
And take care!]
when the trains pass nearby
i think they carry
tanks and missiles
and i look for the tape
i find its end, prepare
then i force myself
to wake up
from this nightmare
[First I used to freak out about every tiny
knock on the door, now
I freak out about the sound
of suitcase wheels, because
it resembles a flying bomber. What a life,
a blockbuster. But I can still laugh about it,
this means we’ll survive.]
the planes to
Copenhagen or Tallinn
sound like the washing
machine drum
in the basement
where my mind runs
to a shelter
while my body remains
in the room
heavy like pressure
of cargo trains
on the track
[Girls! We may be
shelled by Grads
today. I want to tell you
that I love each of you, and
I’m proud to know you! You are the
best women in this country.
Fight and win! ❤️]
The raindrops
falling on my window
wake me up
like artillery shelling
it’s that season in London
[We’ve managed to leave Kiev
by hitchhiking. Everywhere
there are big traffic jams, lots
of vehicles and soldiers,
and bombers flying.
Take care ❤️]
whatever my English
landlady watches on tv
I hear
[We’re still walking.
We’ll spend the night and,
probably, another day
there. Out there.]
[I’m in Lviv
In a shelter for the evacuated]
[Today we are in Sanok town. We could wash ourselves and eat.
Our arms, backs and legs are nearly dead. But what a
happiness it is to sleep horizontally!]
[We are exhausted both emotionally and
physically, hands are still shaking badly. Our journey to
the safe place, plus a stop in Lviv, took over 60
hours.]
every step on the floor
of this Victorian house
is a hammering
[Explosions again. A shot down
aircraft fell somewhere near
my building, on residential houses.]
London is sleeping.
But we are not.
[We are ready and we aren’t scared]
