Photo by John Ramsdin from Unspalash.
Ukrainian flag. Image from Pixabay.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers of Ukraine,
the world turns toward you in admiration
as sunflowers turn toward the sun,
always facing the light.
A president, refusing to retreat to safety,
fighting side-by-side with his fellow citizens,
delivering eloquent messages of brotherhood
in the face of brutal attacks.
Civilians…men, women, and children
shine the light of courage and patriotism
into the darkness
of violence and aggression.
Young and old serve their country
standing in unarmed solidarity
in front of advancing tanks…
Fearless sunflowers!
Citizens making and stockpiling Molotov cocktails.
Civilians, men and women, learning to shoot guns.
People delivering food to brave soldiers…
Patriotic sunflowers!
A little girl giving a Russian soldier an earful and a slap!
The soldier turns and walks away…He knows he is
an unwilling puppet forced to attack his Ukrainian neighbors.
He can see that she’s a sunflower!
Men welding together roadblocks
from scrap metal and rebar.
Women constructing camouflage nets
to conceal Ukrainian tanks!
Babies being born in hospital basements,
into a world of devastated neighborhoods
and schools in ruins…
the tiniest sunflowers!
Ukraine, the nations of the world
stand with you in your fight for freedom.
We mourn with you the loss of loved ones.
We support you.
The sunflowers of Ukraine
shine brightly in this dark time,
always turning their faces toward the light…
Freedom-loving sunflowers!
Photo by Fabio Fisterol from Unsplash.
Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia
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