A Poem for Ukraine, Fear and Family History

Ahhhhhh The World……

Lord God, You made it.

Beautiful and Frightening in its own way

That there can be moments of beauty

Right next to moments of ugliness

In the same room

Existing in the same space

Moments of joy

Coexisting with moments of fear

In the same box

In the same closet

In the same nooks and crannies of our hearts

How can this be?

In one room the children cower in fear

Under Subway stations

Wondering when the Russian troops will march down their street- in front of their windows?

Just like my mother wondered all those years ago

Just like my father wondered from behind Russian barbed wire

At fifteen — a victim of facism

A victim of communist totalitarianism

All at the same time

Alone

A refugee

An orphan

A child

This is happening again

The roots of war trauma run deep in my family

I am triggered

I am anxious