Cities Under Siege

Earth is the Place Where Sacred Things Happen

 

'Earth is the only planet where people dream; live, love, and die. Earth, the pale blue dot is the only place in the universe where man witnesses a baby's birth; hears its first cry; listens to a mother singing a sweet lullaby.'  - Carl Sagan. 

 

What makes a house a home? A house is a place, an address, but a home is what’s created Inside: a home is a place we want to return to at the end of the day. Man needs that comfort, and safety; needs the warmth that’s created from our love, our passion, our joy.   

 

But some vulgar men have drifted afar: they have shut their eyes and ears.  These vulgar men no longer care about others.  These men have forgotten what it means to dream; they’ve forgotten their mother, father, neighbor, and lover, too. They have forgotten about the soft rain of spring, of young love, of young children running barefoot on the grass on a lazy summer afternoon.   

 

The Oligarch of the present day mingles with others of like mind.  This particular oligarch is a vulgar man, a man of extremes and fanaticism.  The misfit is a menace to the life and liberty of others. He lives in opulence and luxury, and dines on rich food, served on expense plates. 

 

The leaders of a small country have heard from the Oligarch. They hurriedly put disaster plans in place. There's no time to delay putting a plan into action.  They lack so much.  

 

Hours later the president faces the camera... he steps to the microphone.   He’s prepared a statement but the words stick in his throat. After some time, he said, “The oligarch has sent news … war comes.”  With those words, millions of people begin the process of fleeing.  Where would they be safe? Would they have time to get to safety?  

 

Cities Under Siege 

 

Millions stayed... they stayed to fight. They stayed to defend their family, their lives, their livelihood, and their country.   The attack came: Siren's blare and rockets explode. This small country quickly trains citizen volunteer soldiers. Men, women, and young people, if old enough, were quickly trained. Soon these newly minted citizen-soldiers were lying in the snow, beside well-trained soldiers. 

 

The new soldiers wisely listened to the older soldiers. The lives of everyone depended on their remembering the lessons.  The older soldiers hoped the new ones were quick learners. Failure to learn meant injury or – death. Nervously holding on to their arms, the new citizen-soldiers wisely kept their grumbles to themselves.  Now they are part of the defense against the raiders.  Ready to defend their homeland, their lives, their families, and their homes.   

 

Street fighting has begun, but during the lulls, local protesters come into the streets. Many protestors come with homemade signs pleading for help. Other signs tell the oligarch to stop the madness. The Oligarch doesn't read their signs.  He sticks to his agenda.    

 

Subways became bomb shelters – they became lost and found centers; places to pray, to cry, to rant and rave, a place where babies are born, and triage centers; a place where people die; a place for bodies.   

 

Raids and explosions are constant. Fear, anger, grief, sorrow, and confusion are present.   One afternoon a raider sees the subway and recognizes it for what it is. He finds his group leader to report his discovery. 

 

The leader forwards the information. Hours later the subway is rubble. A series of bombs turned it into a large burial chamber.    

 

Local people continue to plead for help  

They are angry, bewildered; frightened.    

 

Siren's blare  Tanks rumble into town. An attack is imminent  

Rockets fall...  

 

War is hell 

There are cold days and dark days.  

Destructive days, fearful days. 

rainy days, snowy days.  Sad days   

 

Danger hides in unexpected places. 

During the day clouds of black smoke block the sunlight. 

 

But I think the nights must be the worst.

Noisy nights; dreadful nights  

lonely nights; sleepless nights  

Night predators; two-legged, 

and four-legged. 

 

There is no time to grieve or mourn.  

Invaders continue to push deeper 

There will be more brutal street fighting.   

 

Our Ukraine friends --

Everywhere they look, they see signs of death and destruction. 

 

Frightful sights: grisly sights. hideous sights. Mournful sounds.   

 

They are surrounded by: Absolute turmoil - utter devastation; Children dying, and mothers crying. Fathers crying.   Some people pray.  Others curse.   

 

Some people sit – staring at nothing- their expressions blank. 

 

A young man wearing black pants and a black jacket is seen tugging at the arm of a young boy.   

A frightened woman wearing tight black jeans and a pink hat hugs a child.  

A shoeless youngster wanders the streets. “I want to go home.”  A woman holding a rifle asked him, “Where is home?”  It was there...   

 

Wars mean Death -  diseases, broken homes, broken dreams, broken bones.  Shattered dreams, shattered lives.   

 

Final thoughts:  The war will end when it ends. The guilty are guilty... they should pay for the atrocious crimes they committed against humanity. But the children... the children are innocent. The children should be looking forward to running barefoot in the grass on a lazy summer afternoon. 

 

This particular war is a threat to other nations.  This Oligarch war has already redrawn the map. He plans a long, bloody, and brutal War. This Vulgar Oligarch has requested the aid of another Vulgar Man, a brutal warlord – who was charged with Human Rights violations- in 2017. 

 

From my research I’ve discovered that prisoners under his direct control will face cruel brutality... some will be tortured.  Kamzan Kadyrov brutally tortured LGBT people-teens in Chechnya- in 2017. 

 He is a Russian and Chechen politician currently serving as the Head of the Chechen Republic. 

 

 

The people of Ukraine have not yet had time to reflect, cry, and mourn: They have not had time to absorb the depth and breadth of the destruction in their cities, or their hearts and minds.  The parents, wives, children siblings will never forget those who stayed to fight,  those who died, or the unfortunate men, women, and children who became prisoners.