Why women stand side by side with men in the war

9 March 2023 - 0 Submitted by FTN Editorial Team

Until recently, I was planning to publish my new article about the sacralization of women in Ukrainian society with different words, but having already completed my text and worked on my editing, I was scrolling through the feed on Instagram and came across a poem from my close friend Artur Dron. It was writing published a few minutes ago. Until February 24, Artur was just a student and wrote poetry, even publishing his own collection "Wohnhein Nr. 6". Now Arthur is at war. He protects the motherland. This poem, this and the description of the Ukrainian woman in it became for me exactly what perfectly complements my text about the holiness of women in Ukrainian society. Let it fly around the world, let it be read, let it become a record of this time, this emotion, this war.

1.
Солдат стає перед жінкою на коліно,
як вона перед сином,
коли зав’язувала йому шнурки
у дитинстві.
(A soldier kneels before a woman
like her at bedtime
as she tied his shoelaces
during childhood.)

Не дивиться жінці в очі,
як її син у дитинстві,
коли відчував провину.
(Don't look a woman in the eye
as her son in childhood,
when he felt guilty.)

Солдат каже:
Ось тобі, жінко, прапор.
Люби його.
(Soldier says:
Here's a flag for you, woman.
Love him.)

2.
Дала йому в дорогу свій дитячий малюнок.
Кольорова квітка
на цілу сторінку шкільного зошита
і напис:
«Бог обирігає нас».
(Along the way she gave him her childhood drawing
colored flower
on a full page of a notebook
and the inscription:
"God Save us.")

Намалювала 15 років тому,
їй ще й семи не було.
Йому також.
(Drawn 15 years ago
she wasn't even seven.
He also.)

Тепер собі думає -
смішно, звичайно, але думає собі -
а що,
якби написала без помилки?
(Now she thinks -
funny of course, but she thinks -
what would be,
if I had written correctly?)

3.
Перед поверненням сина
їй приснилися бузьки.
І коли пішов її внук,
стара рано лягала спати
і пізно прокидалася.
(Before her son's return
she dreamed of a white stork.
And when her grandson left
the old woman went to bed early
and woke up late.)

А тепер вона часто приходить
на це поле.
Стоїть собі, дивиться.
Ніби от-от полетить.
(And now she comes often
to this field.
Is standing, looks.
Like she's about to fly.)

Стоїть собі, дивиться.
Ніби великий бузьок,
який не хоче,
аби його втішили.
(Is standing, looks.
like a big white stork,
who doesn't want to
someone to comfort him.)

By Bohdana Semeniuk