Invasion day +19 Putin, ever more desperate as his plans for a master race pull up before they've even reached the first hurdle, pleads pathetically for help: from Serbia, Syria, China, Qatar. Qatar? So you won't be hosting the World Cup then Qatar? You would do well to think of your pariah status if you back Putin. And can you not see, Mr Putin? China is waiting to pounce upon you, not help you: they also have a vision to be the master race. Watch your back door: they are very close. Putin, wildly, like a corned beast, lashes out, narrowly missing Poland, elsewhere an American is killed. More losses to the Russian forces today: demoralised, poorly fed, even more poorly led, hungry, frightened, sad, lonely and desperate conscripts, many just boys, boys who now have grieving parents. Just like Stalin, Putin cares nothing for any of you. Here, at last, the UK have pulled their finger out and launched a quite amazing refugee package: in the first five hours of its launch 44,000 Brits signed up to take Ukrainians in their homes. Hoggy acknowledges you all.
(If you are new to the blog please go to 'About Hoggy' where all about this letter writing blog will be revealed.)
Today's letters:
Dear Hoggy,
Congratulations on starting the blog, it is really helpful knowing there is somewhere we can share our stories. Thank you. This is one from me.
Today, in the morning, the Russian army bombed my city from planes again. The house next to mine got destroyed. At least two people died. In the video I am sending you my house is just opposite that one that is gone. It has also suffered, all the windows out and the roof is gone. My house was bombed from a plane on the 4th March. Here's the video:
At the weekend I made calls asking my students to share their experiences of staying in the city under attack and all of them thought it was a fantastic idea to tell the world what is going on. All of them are young people up to twenty five.
I also know a lady who is a volunteer in Kharkiv right now who could tell about her current work and life. She speaks Russian but we can translate for you. Ina got in touch today and is really thankful for the donation. She has gone to buy a pillow and a blanket.
I am making a video with a sixteen year old girl who spent a week in a basement and I will send it to you. the banks are still functional in Ukraine and I was delighted to find out that ne card started working again on Saturday, such a relief...
All for now Hoggy, keep going...
Regards, Anna,
Dear Anna,
How terrible and heart-breaking. Everything you have worked so hard for gone in seconds.
But no. It is not at all correct to say this, is it? What you have actually worked for is freedom, democracy, decency and the rights of every human being, rights denied to nearly all Russians and rights Putin is trying to deny you..
You may feel you have lost absolutely everything but really you have not: you have won the respect of the thinking, caring people everywhere. It is fair to say you are fighting for the freedom of the world, even for the freedom of Russians, some 5,000 plus brave souls of whom are now imprisoned for trying to stop Putin's madness. The ignorant have been brainwashed and the need is to open channels of free speech for everyone in Russia. Hopefully the cyber warriors of the free world will win this part of the war and soon.
Ukraine was almost certainly no more perfect than anywhere else where choice and free will exists, but now it is one nation, one people, united like nowhere else. Bricks and mortar can be replaced. Lives cannot. Four million Ukrainians will have made it to safety soon but forty four million fight on. How can Russia beat that? The Russians may think they have flattened the country but they have not flattened the nation. How could they? Ukraine will rise again. The free world will make sure it does, whatever the cost.
Thank you to you and all your friends for sharing your stories here. They are powerful messages of hope.
I was greatly moved by the situation in Mariupol and here is a poem I hope might bring a little light. It is an allegory. It is called 'A Pergola for Mariupol'. I am hoping any of your friends, and mine, might want to write poems too: they can also be powerful messages of hope for the future. Please send them to me at: hoggytheyimp@gmail.com. I will publish them here.
With all respect and admiration,
Hoggy
A Pergola for Mariupol
Today we built a pergola,
For Mariupol.
It has a frail and flimsy look
But it is not.
We built it that way.
For Mariupol.
Stone-filled soil sets feet of steel
To bend but never break,
As searing winds tear hearts of oak
This wicked winter seeks.
Yet, when the storm recedes,
As all storms must,
Then, we shall grow Wisteria.
For the people of Mariupol.
And the fronds will fall in shades of blue
On the heroes brave below
So they will know,
And we will know,
That their dark night
Has turned to dawn.
When the sun has blessed this sacrifice
The pergola will hold its fronds
However harsh the winds,
For the flowers will blossom always,
For Mariupol.
H-T-Y March 15th 2022
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