Gabriel Rosenstock presents a bilingual haiku in English and Irish about war in Ukraine 2022.
Gabriel Rosenstock — poet, tankaist, haikuist, novelist, essayist, playwright, author/translator of over 180 books, mostly in Irish (Gaelic). Rosenstock is one of the foremost poets in Ireland in both English and Irish. He also writes haikus and he works as translator and as assistant editor for an Irish-language publishing house. He writes primarily in Irish and is the author or translator into Irish of over one hundred books. He is member of several literary societies and organisations, such as the Innti group and Aosdána.
"Swim against the current,
Shove against the lance,
Bear the cross’s burden
Boldly unto death!
Truth will battle power!
Evil will be cowed!
’Midst a people bound to
Freedom of the word!"(Ivan Franko)
““It's funny to me.
I am alive.
And I will protect.
My country.”
A slim, blue-eyed.
Brunette woman.
Is working out.
In a gym...”(Kurama)
“Hunting down one ‘orc’ soldier.
At a time from a place.
That can't be seen and.
With a sound that can't be heard.
“The artillery always.
Makes people worry.
You can hide from artillery.
But not from a sniper.”...”(Kurama)
"From every family.
From every household.
There were people present.
In the tiny village of Hroza.
A missile attack killed.
52 people on Thursday.
People from every family.
In the tiny village of Hroza..."(Kurama)
“Is it a success or a failure?
Gen smiles and replies:
“If the offensive were not successful.
I wouldn't be talking to you now.”
The general in charge of.
Ukraine's stuttering.
Counter-offensive in the south.
Has said....”(Kurama)
"Late one night in early April.
An ‘elf’ military medic was travelling.
Towards a combat position in Mariupol.
With soldiers from her unit.
The fighting was close; the sound.
Of gunfire and bombs came from every direction.
One of them could have hit.
Their vehicle at any moment..."(Kurama)
«A poet was detained.
And interrogated.
By ‘orcs’ forces in late March.
Then released.
The next day.
Witnesses saw two soldiers.
Leading him away again.
They say he shouted...»(Kurama)
"Be patient. Be patient.
Too much patient but not enough to see you.
Be patient. Be patient.
On my way from home to where you have a few days.
Be patient. Be patient.
Too much patient but not enough to call you.
Be patient. Be patient.
On my way through half of Ukraine by bus..."(Kurama)
"Pinning shadows against walls.
Raise me up. Raise me up.
Feeling the breathing of fire blazes.
Raise me up. Raise me up.
Creeping frozen darkness up on me.
Warm me up. Warm me up.
Leading flames on my own.
Warm me up. Warm me up."(Kurama)
"Within the first hour.
Of you arriving.
There were two sirens.
And incoming artillery fire.
This city Kupiansk was occupied.
For six months.
And then liberated.
Last year..."(Kurama)
"...I’m waiting for you to hear your voice.
I’m praying for you to read your words.
What a long long long silence is passing and passing at home.
Wherever you go now, I’m calling your name, my dear son.
Where do you go now? My hair is turning whiter, my dear son.
Wherever you stand now, I’m calling your name, my dear son.
Where do you stand now? My hair is turning whiter, my dear son."(Kurama)
"‘Orcs’ tortured the land.
‘Orcs’ tortured, but he’s back to.
‘Orcs’ tortured the land..."(Kurama)
"Taxi driver and father of four.
He is the sole survivor in Bucha.
In the early hours of 24 February.
He was driving his taxi in Kyiv and heard explosions.
He struggled to believe it was actually happening.
His first thought that morning was to get the family's IDs.
If they were going to have to flee, they needed passports.
He quickly drove the 40km towards Brovary where they lived..."(Kurama)
““My daughter kept.
Screaming and crying.
That we forgot daddy.
I needed to be strong.”
On 24 February 2022.
‘Mordor’ invaded Ukraine.
That morning.
Her life “changed forever”...”(Kurama)
«With the call sign Karaya.
An ‘elf’ military pilot.
Shot down five Iranian drones.
Over Vinnytsia and ejected.
With the call sign Karaya.
He is already waiting for.
A new aircraft.
A little more — and he returns to the ranks...»(Kurama)
"‘Orcs’ captured the land.
‘Orcs’ captured, but she’s back to.
‘Orcs’ captured the land.
‘Gandalf the Green’ announced her release from ‘Mordor’.
“I’m grateful to everyone who worked for this result. Tayra is already home.”
“I know that everything will work out and we’ll all be home as I’m now.”
Tayra thanked ‘Gandalf the Green’ for his efforts to get her released.
Tayra and her driver were taken prisoner by ‘orcs’ on March 16.
The same day an ‘orcs’ airstrike hit a theater, killing around 600 people..."(Kurama)
"A 17-year-old ‘elf’.
Who was moved.
From Ukraine to ‘Mordor’.
Found out recently.
He was facing the prospect.
Of being conscripted.
Into the army fighting against.
The country of his birth..."(Kurama)
"As he slowly began.
To regain consciousness.
In his hospital bed.
In Kyiv.
He realized.
He couldn't see, speak.
Or feel his legs.
But he could hear his wife’s voice..."(Kurama)
