Leaves and Missiles Fall

An Autumn Poem from Ukraine

Autumn Carpathians 2022: Photo by Author

Yellow and amber leaves rustle and blow
In the distance a missiles’ impact does glow
We hide in basements, flats, do you know?
Yet our hopes and dreams continue to grow

Indian summer days keeping us here warm
Missiles and drones descend on us, a swarm
Today like most, we awake to an air raid alarm
Do you really expect us to accept this as the norm?

Students run around going on with their days
Smoke rises from another missile, creating haze
And the enemy in circles, runs a rat in a maze
We sit here and wonder is the free world in a daze?

Orange pumpkins dot the fields with their grins
Is the democratic world just a bunch of has-beens?
Autumn apples we peel, down drop the skins
If you don’t come to Ukraine’s aid, who really wins?