A patriot in a bulletproof vest
Asian tigress,
and a brave Kazakh kitty,
purrs quietly sneak up,
meanwhile fear of enemies
as the holiday approaches.
Body armor factory
fragile girl built
national glory and honor
You, Madina, deserve it.
Volunteer veterans
A battalion is born
from former police officers,
wear a chevron
take the patch and medallion.
Training ahead
blood, sweat, and loss,
shame, I’m in a warm bed.
As small children, we played war
Wooden bow, arrows, and gun
the knife is near a belt,
once, our childhood was full of fun.
We ran through the fields
with a village’s neighbor
taking a sword, a painted shield
without adult worries and labor.
Time has passed
harsh life befell our fate,
Russian missile strikes are mass,
the heart cherishes pain, I hate…
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vyacheslav Konoval is a Ukrainian poet whose work is devoted to the most pressing social problems of our time, such as poverty, ecology, relations between the people and the government, and war.
His poems have appeared in many magazines, including Anarchy Anthology Archive, International Poetry Anthology, Literary Waves Publishing, Sparks of Kaliopa, Reach of the Song 2022, Diogenes for Culture Journal, «Scars of my heart from the war», «Poetry for Ukraine», «Rhyming», «La page Blanche», Norwich University research center, «Impakter», «Military Review», «The Lit», «Allegro», «Innisfree poetry journal»,«Atunes Galaxy Poetry», «Ekscentrika», «Mere Inkling», «EgoPhobia», «Fulcrum», «Omnibus», «Adirondack Center for Writing», «Lothlorien Poetry Journal», Revista Literaria «Taller Igitur», «Tarot Poetry Journal», «Tiny Seed Literature Journal», «Best American Poetry Blog», «Quilled Ink Review», «Chronograph Poetry Journal», the Appalachian Journal «Dark Horse», «Agape», «Mascara Literary Review», «Gray Sparrow», «ArLJo», «Ekstasis», «The Bloom Litarery Journal».
Vyacheslav’s poems were translated into Spanish, French, Scottish, and Polish languages.
His poems also have been read at meetings of various poetry groups, including Newman Poetry Group, Never Talk Innocence, Voicing Art Poetry Reading for Ukraine, Worcester County Poetry, Brussels Writer’s Circle, and Poets Anonymous May Middle-Met, Brett Show by Andrea, the Manx Bard group, Allinghman Art Festival, Versopolis Poetry Expo 2023, poetry readings «Poetry of Struggle and Solidarity»,
«Poetic Voices».
He is a member of the Geer Poetry Group (Wales) and a member of the Federation of Scottish Writers.