As the weeks drag on, my disappointment in our government’s–and frankly the West’s–response to the Ukraine situation grows, resulting in this bitter poem. It is told from an unnamed leader’s point of view. Sorry to use a tired idiom at the end, but–as they say–when the shoe fits!
On a lighter note, I highly recommend the Ukrainian TV show now on Netflix with subtitles, Servant of the People. It’s a lighthearted show that probes the ideals of Western Democracy in the face of corruption and nepotism. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (who started his career as a comedian) stars as a history teacher turned Ukrainian President. In addition to being very funny, he has so many unintentionally prophetic lines, which, in light of current events, make you cringe. You also have a chance to see how beautiful Kiev was, before all this happened.
You ask, am I grateful
For kindly outpourings
Of sympathy, comments
And follows and likes?
You ask, am I grateful
For armaments coming
And drones, anti-aircraft,
Munitions, to fight?
You ask, am I grateful
For sanctions that bankrupt,
And weaken the currency,
De-fund the foe?
You ask, am I grateful
for neighbors nearby,
With their NATO-soft lives,
Taking refugees home?
You ask, am I grateful
For standing ovations,
For yet-tougher sanctions
When lesser ones fail?
You ask, am I grateful
Reporters reporting
In dangerous quarters
Keep telling the tale?
You ask, am I grateful
For businesses leaving,
When mothers are grieving
Their children today?
You ask, am I grateful
They’re lending a hand,
When they don’t understand
Bodies, thrown in mass graves?
You ask, am I grateful
For all the donations,
For money to burn
In this three-alarm fire?
You ask, am I grateful
For help, in ground warfare,
When bombs keep on dropping
From higher and higher?
My friends, I am grateful.
The West is amazing.
Can’t wait to join NATO–
When NATO lets me.
It’s hard to be grateful,
When down on your knees.
With buddies like you,
I don’t need
Enemies.
Copyright 2022 Andrea LeDew
For two essays on how the words please and thank-you lubricate our social dealings, but can also backfire, read Asking for Help and Thank You: It’s Only Polite. For a tongue-in-cheek poem about a man seeking the gratitude of the masses, as a pandemic hits our shores, read Small Thanks.
I look forward to hearing what you think of this post!.