No doubt, prose and verses will be written about events in Ukraine. Some of them will be translated to English (especially those, that fall in line with the Western media's viewpoint). Quite possibly, you'll come across those works. But, while reading them, remember - Donetsk and Luhansk were there first, by many years.
Here's a poem by Irina Bykovskaya-Vyazovaya (a translation from Russian). She was born in Ukraine (then part of the USSR). She worked as a teacher of Russian language and literature. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, Russian language became undesirable in Ukraine, so she acquired a new profession - a nurse. Since the beginning of the Donbass conflict in 2014, she spends a lot of time in Donetsk and Luhansk, helping civilians
*****
They lie there -
A rebuke
To all the living.
Even in death, still holding hands.
A gray-haired lady and her grandsons.
Both she and they were born in wartime...
And hardened men can't help but howl in tears.
You bite your fists again, to quench the pain.
And salty grief burns in your eyes.
And Heavens groan above your head...
They lie, like soldiers, where they fell.
Like a barrier to our common madness.
They tried to cling to life in hell,
Donbass' grandmothers and young lads...
Above their graves will flicker falling stars,
Trees will be wringing hand-like branches,
And all those victims - sons, old women, kids,
One day will bring God in our souls as a judge.
(2nd February, 2015)
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