Invasion day +83 Russian war analyst Mikhail Khodaryonok tells Russians on state TV 'they 'should not swallow information-tranquilisers'. A breakthrough in the fight for freedom of speech in Russia perhaps?
Or preparation of the Russian people, the 'ignore-mass' of those who will not, or cannot, accept the evil that is 'Putin the Appalling', for the impending total defeat of their armed forces. Defeat that is inevitable given the steady build up of the replaceable armed might of a united, incensed, and energised world against a disorganised, demoralised, undertrained and under resourced body of under-led people carrying a gun, for it is unlikely we can call it an army for much longer given Russian losses, the use of conscript civilians, mercenaries and rapidly formed militias instilled only with the skills of brutality. Beware the fangs of the cornered cur.
But better news from across the country as rail repairs are completed, shelling of the west becomes more sporadic, mines and IEDs are being removed in ever-growing numbers, buildings are being repaired, war crimes investigations are amassing evidence with new investigation teams arriving, war crimes trails are starting and Kharkiv, where our correspondents are based, is free. In Russia arson attacks increase on paper-based recruiting systems as disenchantment crawls out from the cellars of the better-informed. Russian supply lines are increasingly being destroyed.
Meanwhile fighting intensifies in the Donbas as Mariupol finally falls in the south. The world waits to see the survivors' fate. If Russia gets this wrong all hell will rain down upon them from a Ukraine doubly determined to avenge them and a world totally sick of Putin's imperial barbarity, however short-lived it will now be. We can but hope peace will prevail soon.
Today's Letters:
From poet and writer, Felix Hodcroft, North Yorkshire
Dear Hoggy,
'Oksana, Ukrainian'
I penned this poem some years ago on a cruise ship, it may have resonance for Ukraine right now. It is from my latest collection 'rehearsing for this'.
Oksana
out of Bayonne, NJ – October 2016
Like an ache, a breeze tugs on the leaves.
The leaves slowly spiral and spin down and
round and the turning earth breathes.
And Oksana carries the plates of food up
the empty plates down and washes the plates and
dries the washed plates and
fills up the clean plates with food and
carries them up.
And rain washes the sky.
And the sun drips gold through the wash and the
colours burst back and everything softens yet
sharpens as
grit streams from our eyes.
And Oksana is scouring a filthy floor
then polishing the cleaned floor then
standing aside to allow the guests to walk the
floor in their dirty shoes and
spread their scurf and smear and sweat and
Oksana looks into the mirror at
dust spinning through the air and she watches her
eyes as the dust passes through them.
Oksana's beautiful eyes are fading fading.
The sun drops into the ocean without
drama a few flushed cheeks a tiny splash.
Another another another tiny splash.
Pull the blinds round a sigh a
smothered cry.
And Oksana painted a dream for herself but the
colours ran and the paper crumpled and so she
drew a plan but the plan got tossed
along with everything else Oksana
did or made or cleaned or thought of
after it had been used for an
hour or a minute or
sometimes less.
At night the ocean glitters and whispers and
heaves beneath us and
little birds speed dancing over it and
moonlight plays on their wings but
if they stop dancing they die.
They crouch beneath deckchairs their tiny hearts
throbbing the young woman walking round the
deck and around the deck picks and
takes one into her hand.
And it pecks a stale crumb
off her wrist.
Its head jerks its bright eyes glitter up at
Oksana who's thinking well this is my life
this is not my life but
it is.
FH 2016
Keep the blog going, Hoggy,
Love to you all,
Felix
Dear Felix,
Thank you for this very poignant poem. It certainly has resonance right now.
Although not perhaps written as one, it is an analogy for Ukraine today and all the more powerful for it.
To all the Oksanas out there in Ukraine, and our own Oksana who has done so much for Ukraine amongst us here, we acknowledge you, thank you for your sacrifices, your courage and your indefatigable spirit for your people, your nation and for the world.
'Oksana who's thinking well this is my life this is not my life but it is.'
With love to poets everywhere,
Hoggy
* Felix Hodcroft is a well-known poet, editor, and writer in the North East of the UK and the author of several books including 'Lives of Lilo' 'Life after Life after Death' and 'A Pocketful of Windows'.
'rehearsing for this' Felix's latest collection of poems is available from the author via his blogsite: https://www.felixhodcroftpoet.com
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