Andriy & Mikhail’s Plight
Andriy’s wife nods her blessing.
She held the newborn in her arms.
You come back when it calms down,
I don’t want you picking up arms.
He plots how to cross the border,
To escape the conscription for war.
A man even swam the Dneister river,
Dead men being pulled to shore.
Knapsack on back, money in pocket,
He walked the plains of Transnistria.
Then collapsed to the ground sobbing
As he stepped into the land Moldova.
Now, two hundred miles or so away,
Mikhail’s wife does the same thing.
Held a newborn in her arms & said
Come back when it calms down.
He plots how to cross the border,
To escape the conscription for war.
As a Russian his options limited to
Georgia or the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Plane tickets surge to prices beyond,
So, he boarded a train to Almaty.
Packed with compatriots & the same idea,
But fleeing is deemed as cowardly.
A whole heap of men bade farewell,
Emotions exploded as they left to fight.
Andriy & Mikhail run opposite ways,
No gun, no bullets, nor body in sight.
By their leaders branded traitors &
A harsh reception for when they return.
But why be like sheep led for slaughter?
500,000 killed & maimed.
Further Reading: Russia plans crackdown on men avoiding the draft
Further Reading: Ukraine cracks down on draft-dodging as it struggles to find troops
Another Poem by Skendong: Sorry Ukraine – A Poetic Pause In Troubled Times