Poems for Ukraine 22/04/22
Poets have always responded to war by writing poetry — it’s what we do. Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on 24th February this year people started sending The Friday Poem their poems about the war — poems about resistance, poems of protest, and poems about specific individuals affected by the fighting. These are stories of courage, grief and hope. We have decided to publish some every week. Slava Ukraini!
Running as an act of defiance by Iain Whiteley
A View from Finland by Eileen Anne Gordon
Running as an act of defiance
For Nikolai, Volodmir & Konstantin
Like you, I think many things while running. Today,
I think how good you look at 75, no doubt down
to those 48 marathons in Berlin, Prague, Bratislava.
I try to think how brave someone must be to run
through 10 explosions within 20 kilometres of a lap
of the local park. I think how I might soon even
know. I think how strong you look in that selfie.
How proud and fresh. I think how your running
partner looks younger, maybe my age. He grins
carefree with endorphins and I love how his arms
are raised and his head is cocked and he’s cheering
and toothy and silly like a champ. You run for peace
in a city at war. There’s been a lot to cry about lately
and your app sets me off: innocent stats showing
distance, duration, pace. Strava doesn’t plot bombs
or carnage. I think of your defiance. Seeing this
through to the finish. Where your next race
could lead. I think of your personal best.
A View from Finland
March 2022
Each year you came from Russia
to visit me, your son-in-law.
We shook hands the Finnish way.
Your grandsons raced into your arms,
hugs, kisses and tears.
Together we took flowers to your daughter’s grave.
We were family.
I sent my precious boys to you,
a month at a time.
I wanted them to speak their mother’s tongue,
know cousins, aunts, uncles,
meet their mother’s friends,
go to Russian school.
We were family.
My own visits to your home brought peace.
We walked the forest-trails she had walked
and when my Russian failed,
a much loved brother-in-law translated.
We talked of many things, although
your bear was always lurking.
We were family.
Now my boys are angry with their cousins
and the cousins are angry with my boys.
An armistice is hammered out.
We will not talk about the war
which you insist is not a war.
This lie destroys us all.
We were a family.
