Collective poem
At the end of last week, on the occasion of the event we dedicated to several Romanian-American women writers, under the strong impression of the war in Ukraine, we invited the public to participate in an old avant-garde poetic experiment. Everyone was asked to continue, anonymously, the verse "Europe is in flames, death is a master from the East", expressing in the form of a collective poem their emotions from the Ukrainian tragedy. Here is, on World Poetry Day, the result of this impromptu lyrical event, as a spontaneous message of support for the victims of the Russian aggression in Ukraine but also as a testimony to the possibilities of poetry when it seems that only weapons can be heard.
IMPROMPTU FOR UKRAINE
Europe is in flames, death is a master from the East
Winter is suddenly colder in New York
Memories flare up, memories long suppressed
Life is fragile, the world is in trouble
Humanity is at stake
The heart of a mother, a sister, a wife, a lover
Can’t stop crying for a father, a brother, a husband, a lover
Now I know for sure that evil exists
And no one is safe anymore
Too slow have we come together to fight the beast
A lesson in loss
Europe is in flames, what are we doing to help?
What can wake us up from this nightmare?
The silent demon is suddenly here
We can do more than offer our thoughts & prayers
Tangible things as if we were all in Ukraine now
This is a nation courageous for all of us
Rejoice for the children who will grow up in freedom!