Night in Chernivtsi

Street lights no longer shine on the backstreets of Chernivtsi

Stars twinkle in and out above the low ridge of a distant mountain

Random apartments give the blue light glow of TV from their windows

One dog barks, another one starts and soon after a cacophony of howls

Silver moonlight, shines off the shiny new rooftop across the street

The smoke of the cigar rises and fades lingering for only moments

Ukrainian cognac coats the lips, mingles with the cigar taste

Then mixes with it and brings out one of life’s simple treasures

And they are dancing in the streets now in liberated Kherson

Peace for now but all here know that it will not yet be a lasting one

We celebrate anyway, we go on, we fight, we write, we do what we have to

Defeat does not exist in our reality and neither does the offer of surrender

Who is foolish enough to negotiate with the devil?

Or even to speak with him as if he is a civilized being?

No, the troops of ours will roll on until he leaves this bountiful land

We will roll on doing the work it takes to win this awful, unfair war

Shevchenko on his hill will stand and salute all those who continue the fight

All the greats of Ukraine who told us that it was so will rise from the ashes

And dance when the victory of Ukraine finally comes and wraps us within

Our souls and spirits know it, feel it, smell it and taste it

Our bodies may be worn, hungry, tired, abused, injured and broken

But it is within that counts and together, we all know that

So we will light our candles in our churches and pray before icons

Some of us will fast for the coming Nativity season and St. Nicholas Day

We are used to giving up things so others may fight, may win and may continue

United no matter what our race, creed or identity in the battle with evil

All of us will stand against it in our own way, raise whatever weapons we may have at our disposal

We strike down that evil that has come from the ugly east

With pen, with sword, with voice, with guns, artillery and drones

Stand with us if you believe in freedom is all that we ask