She sits tall, neck craned,
blue and yellow flag out of view.
Husband and sons gone.
Neighborhoods reduced to rubble.
Paint me on this dismal morning
in my black mourning.
Paint my sorrow,
my horror, my disbelief.
Joyful colors obliterated.
No emerald greens,
brilliant purples
or rich chestnut browns.
Abandoned by you, your government.
Ceded for whatever reason
to that Russian tyrant.
I am the widow of Ukraine.
My visage shall haunt you
until the day you die.
Written for dVerse, the virtual pub for poets around the globe where I’m hosting October 22nd’s Open Link Night. Folks are free to post one poem of their choosing OR they may write a poem that includes mention of at least three colors.
I’ve combined my optional prompt with Melissa’s prompt from Tuesday Poetics: write a poem inspired by one of three “haunting” paintings she provided.
The real haunting and haunted story behind Svetlana Telets, Rain Woman (1996).
Telets is a Ukrainan artist. Telets claimed that for months leading up to her painting, she felt an invisible presence watching her constantly. She claims to have felt an invisible force guide her hand llike a puppeteer while creating it. Telets’ painting was displayed in a local gallery in Ukraine, where it was purchased and returned multiple times by buyers who reported the painting caused them to experience insomnia, nightmares, and an eery sensation of being watched. Some even claimed that a shadowy figure followed them through their homes.
The real terror in Ukraine is so painful…. and knowing how you cannot even critize the killing of children is beyond me. But when you have state that compassion is the greatest weakness something is beyond wrong… it is pure evil.
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I will be totally disillusioned with the US if there is not a blue wave for the Democratic party to take over the House and Senate, to put a stop to so many of the Trump Administration policies, actions, and corruption. Travelling as we did, through Canada and Greenland on our last cruises, we found ourselves continually apologizing for the actions of this President and his sycophants. His chuminess with Putin is inexcusable. And yes, we’ve learned that the evaluation of what really happened when the US bombed the school in Ukraine will not be released until after the midterm election on November 3. And we are still waiting for the release of the Epstein files.
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AND…hope to see you at dVerse LIVE on Saturday!
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I agree with Björn, Lill, and I love the form of your poem with the alternating stanzas in third and first person, like a conversation between the observer and the observed. I also like the way you played with the homonyms ‘morning/mourning’.
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Glad you enjoyed….tough topic….horrendous happenings.
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This is such a poignant ekphrastic poem, Lil!
The war in Ukraine is a devastating reminder that behind every headline are ordinary people whose lives have been fractured by violence.. No political argument can make the human cost of war less heartbreaking.
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Thank you, Sanaa. Especially for your comment on the war itself.
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Widow of Ukraine, indeed highlights the inner pain of this painting
Bravo!!!
Much love
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Thank you, Gillena! Hope to see you on Saturday at our LIVE session!
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A poignant and beautifully written poem! You’ve highlighted the inner pain of this painting beautifully. 👍☺️
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Thank you! My heart is with Ukraine.
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My pleasure! Mine too.
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Im so sorry
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Yes….my heart is with Ukraine.
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All us old Hippies weep daily over what the world has become…
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Exactly.
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Abandoned by you, your government.
Ceded for whatever reason
to that Russian tyrant.
I am the widow of Ukraine
That stanza brought tears to my eyes.
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Oh Ain…..my hope, and I pray for, a “blue tsunami” on November 3. If Americans vote their conscience rather than their political party, we can take majority control away from President Trump and oust his sycophants from the House of Representatives and the Senate. Then, I believe, we can begin to approach sanity once more and Congress can once again support Ukraine, vote out Elon Musk’s contracts stripping him of some of his control as well.
Know that many in the US stand with Ukraine.
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Wow, Lillian, that final image of the “widow of Ukraine” turns the whole poem into a portrait that seems to stare right back at us, and that last warning really does haunt!
~David
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I really was drawn to this image.
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👍🏻
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I don’t know what is more horrendous, to read about it, I mean to read your poem and really feel it or the fact that am on my balcony smoking in peace while my other half is inside, safe and sound.
While all this is going on around the world.
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Yes….we are lulled into our own lives with news that keeps coming and since it keeps coming, it blurs and just “passes us by” far too often without our feeling any of it. For some reason, all of the news with Ukraine hits hard for me. I do believe President Trump is changing the world order in a destructive way, siding with Putin and alienating NATO.
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Yes, and as someone living in Estonia am used to the fear of… what if…
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Oh, wow, Lillian this is indeed haunting, and powerful. The situation does give me a gut ache and your poem speaks volumes “out of the rubble.”
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Thank you, Jennifer. The situation is truly awful…it seems President Trump is intent on changing the world order. Years and years back, there was a theory that Putin held something over his head….a blackmail of sorts. Maybe that is the reason he is forsaking NATO and siding with Putin.
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A very creative way to interprete this painting, Lillian. It was great seeing everyone this morning! We have a wonderful group of poets.
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Thanks, Dwight. It was a fun session! Folks from UK, Australia, India, Pakistan, Sweden, Trinidad Tobago; and in the US from NC, MA, OH, OR, and VT! Hope you’ll join us again when I host on Nov 21!
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I hope to be there!
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