Kurama (Japan). «Poets waiting for a hostage in ‘mordor’» — a poem about war in Ukraine 2022

Kurama
(Japan)

POETS WAITING FOR A HOSTAGE IN ‘MORDOR’

‘Orcs’ torture the land.
‘Orcs’ torture, but he’ll be back to.
‘Orcs’ torture the land.

Delivering food and medicine to her and her 
neighbours.
Her son had just 
arrived. 
But ‘orcs’ were a few feet 
away.

In the town of Makhariv, west of Kyiv.
On her car ‘orcs’ 
sprayed painting ‘V’ and 
noticed him.

She kneeled on the ground by her front door.
Pressing her hands together in a prayer.

Then she raised
 herself up 
on her cane.
"Please do not 
take my son." Her 
prayer she 
spoke
 aloud.

But ‘orcs’ 
pushed him into the driver's seat of her car.
‘Orcs’ 
pointed 
a gun at him. He looked 
straight 
ahead.

Her son 
drove away 
and out of her life.
‘Orcs’ took him away. 
And he 
vanished.

Mother, daughter and grandson sat in the dark.
Bullet holes in the walls. Broken glass on the floors.

A mortar shell had come through the roof. Two others in the garden.
Spraying shrapnel through the house. Still no power in the town.

"My soul aches,” his wife said.
“Not just for my husband, for everyone.”

She was full of worry that there was something not done right.
But there were bullet holes in her car windshield.

All she could find was some passport pictures.
With them and his passport, she got a lift to Bucha.

Her husband drove away and out of her life.
‘Orcs’ took him away. And he vanished.

‘Orcs’ torture the land.
‘Orcs’ torture, but he’ll be back to.
‘Orcs’ torture the land.

At last, her phone rang. Her husband had been identified.
Alive among the hostages in ‘Mordor’.

When she might see him again? Through her tears.
"He will come back to us. I can wait.” 

‘Orcs’ torture the land.
‘Orcs’ torture, but he’ll be back to.
‘Orcs’ torture the land.