Poetry Where You Live

04/20/2025

Waffle House after worship

10/31/2024

A Faustian Tragedy – v2

A cautionary tale, a dream,
the sorrow of my homeland,
giving up so quickly,
complacent, complicit, losing,
our freedom, our independence…

A reproach to our neighbors,
to the ones who would come behind us,
to those around us, seeing,
three souls barred from heaven,
mocked on this earth…

A Faustian bargain, a tragedy,
not a comedy, real-life,
giving up life, liberty,
in quiet acquiescence,
in submission to evil…

A reproach, a reminder,
of the treachery of evil,
too good to be true,
receiving so little,
but costing so much…

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Edited October 31, 2024
A Faustian Tragedy – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/a-faustian-tragedy-v2.html
after poem, “A Faustian Tragedy”,
based on the poems, “The Great Grave”,
by Taras Shevchenko,
called, “A Comedy”,
see Goethe

10/31/2024

Weep, oh weep, my poor Ukraina – v2

A dream, a nightmare, a terror, present,
weep, my dear mother, Ukraina,
at the tragedy unfolding,
the Moskals raging,
turncoats compromised,
joined in the greed, the beating,
harming of your people,
the bear on the rampage
while his master sits in opulence…

Weep, oh weep, my poor Ukraina,
at the telling of my dream,
the fate that has befallen you,
poor black-haired maidens, widows,
broken wandering orphans
under the sky, the poplars,
by the tombs high and mighty,
ancient power forgotten
under Moskal terror;
May you rise again.

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Edited October 31, 2024
Weep, oh weep, my poor Ukraina
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/weep-oh-weep-my-poor-ukraina-v2.html
after poem, “Weep, oh weep, my poor Ukraina”,
based on the poems, “The Dream”,
by Taras Shevchenko

10/31/2024

on the backs of the fallen – v2

on the backs of their fallen
on their dead and buried bodies,
you built your palaces,
your façade of opulence…

upon the carnage, the pain,
the human wreckage,
of your greed for power,
your imperial lust…

you built a city, a cesspool,
cursed tsar and wicked ruler,
“Murderer and viper!”,
while we were in chains…

I will fly back
to my Ukraina
to our Dnipro and
see what you have left…

“Revel on O savage hangman,”
may you be forever cursed
all you have taken, slaughtered,
all you have fettered will be free at last.

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Edited October 31, 2024
on the backs of the fallen – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/on-backs-of-fallen-v2.html
after poem, “on the backs of the fallen”,
based on the poem, “The Dream”,
by Taras Shevchenko

10/31/2024

the second stabbed with savage blow – v2

so much blood, pain,
the cost to mankind,
a family of hate, of dread,
held within the ancient walls,
their hearts, their souls a crypt…

two of a kind, a pair,
savages of truth, destruction,
a dynasty of terror, torture,
for poor Ukraina, my love,
our history of suffering…

one who crucified, who destroyed,
who cut us to the quick,
the second his spawn,
his angry echo, a copy,
who stabbed with savage blow…

the tremor of their savagery,
an echo in this time, of evil,
the brutality of our masters,
hiding withing these gilded walls,
their monstrous deeds…

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Edited October 31, 2024
the second stabbed with savage blow – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-second-stabbed-with-savage-blow-v2.html
after poem, “the second stabbed with savage blow”,
based on the poem, “The Dream”,
by Taras Shevchenko

Poetry Where You Live is a Christian poetry blog of Raymond A. Foss, mostly faith-based, or about family, nature, imagery, all content copyrighted.

10/31/2024

I fly after her unceasing – v2

o’er her hills and her valleys
a dream of flight, of flying,
above the forest, the harvest,
a life, alive, perchance to dream…

hiding high above her, homeward,
greeting his love, his dear Ukraina,
the flower, her youth faded
a life he longed for, evermore…

a prayer, a dream, a blessing,
falling down upon her, his wish,
gathering the orphans to him
his love for Ukraina…

bound to her black soil, his homeland,
communing with her nature,
talking the poplars, with meadows,
thick with morning dewdrops…

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Edited October 31, 2024
I fly after her unceasing – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/i-fly-after-her-unceasing-v2.html
after poem, “I fly after her unceasing”,
based on the poem, “The Dream”,
by Taras Shevchenko

10/31/2024

I boldly walked within – v2

In through the palace gates,
invisible to my tormentors,
I boldly walked within,
this gilded awful lair…

The Tsar, he strutted by
beside him the Empress also,
“Is that goddess, there, I see?
the devil take you now!”

Their lies, painful lies,
of brotherhood, in truth
“A Moskal’s word! God and read,
and see the faith they have!”…

The courtiers, the jesters,
the fetid awful lot, so evil,
fawned and preened within the court,
as they strutted out…

He struck and he struck again
some awful vicious game, repeated,
and each in turn fell into line,
and carried out the same…

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Edited October 31, 2024
I boldly walked within – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/i-boldly-walked-within-v2.html
after poem, “I boldly walked within”,
based on the poem, “The Dream”,
by Taras Shevchenko

Poetry Where You Live is a Christian poetry blog of Raymond A. Foss, mostly faith-based, or about family, nature, imagery, all content copyrighted.

10/31/2024

Again, I fly above the earth – v2

Again, I fly above the earth, rising,
above my pain, above my sorrow,
free of the steps on this mortal coil…

I rise above them, the hills, the cabin,
I break free of the fetters, my bonds,
chains that bind us to the earth…

Why this torture, under the heavens,
my poor soul chained within my body,
endless, bitter suffering and pain…

Again, I fly above the poplars, hedgerows,
gathering seeds of my people, diaspora,
to go and grow out in the world…

The city glows as if on fire; burning,
the Moskals unto Moscow, plying,
to the Tsar’s evil courts…

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Edited October 31, 2024
Again, I fly above the earth – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/again-i-fly-above-earth-v2.html
after poem, “Again I fly above the earth”,
based on the poem, “The Dream”,
by Taras Shevchenko

Poetry Where You Live is a Christian poetry blog of Raymond A. Foss, mostly faith-based, or about family, nature, imagery, all content copyrighted.

10/31/2024

out on the roaring sea – v2

leaving the Dnipro,
that safe harbor
out on the roaring sea,
venturing onward, forward,
for honor, for conquest
the glory of Ukraina,
the land that they love…

battling the sultan’s armies,
in the mighty fortress, the city,
“the Kozaks charge without a waver”,
breaking the chains, the fetters,
rising, freed, flying, sailing,
below the Bosphorus, red with blood,
flying, rising, to the heights…

gathering onward, onto the vessels,
plying the mountain-high red waves,
sailing homeward with Hamaliya,
for the glory of conquest,
rich in the harvest, the plunder,
hiding within, behind, the billows,
heading for Zaporazhtsy, on toward home…

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Edited October 31, 2024
out on the roaring sea – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/out-on-roaring-sea-v2.html
after poem, “out on the roaring sea”,
based on the poems, “Hamaliya” and “Ivan Pidkova”,
by Taras Shevchenko

Poetry Where You Live is a Christian poetry blog of Raymond A. Foss, mostly faith-based, or about family, nature, imagery, all content copyrighted.

10/31/2024

not submissive – v2

not submissive,
but an equal, a fire
a fellow Slav, a river
a noble brother, partner,
only together, Slavic rivers
one to another, hand in hand,
seeing each other as one people,
seeing each a brother, as family…

different peoples, but one people,
united, only then shall we gather
may we tarry, gather, travel
in a group, as neighbors
only a people, kinsman,
though we are many,
together as one family,
one common blood…

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Edited October 31, 2024
not submissive – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/not-submissive-v2.html
after poem, “not submissive”,
based on the poems, “Šafárik”,
rebuke of Pushkin’s poem,
“To the Slanderers of Russia”,
to submit to the domination of Russia…
by Taras Shevchenko,
about Pavel Jozef Šafárik

10/31/2024

coiled trumpets – v2

wearing their royal regalia,
vibrant colors of their clan,
holding to the fence behind them
buglers ready for battle,
their banners held high…
resting, ready at the ramparts,
heeding the battle cry.

coiled trumpets, at the ready,
their lips on the mouthpiece,
ready to blow, the battle cry,
strong and steady the archers,
horseback riders lined up row on row,
all of them heed the drummers,
for the buglers, their battle cry…

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Edited October 31, 2024
coiled trumpets – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/coiled-trumpets-v2.html

Poetry Where You Live is a Christian poetry blog of Raymond A. Foss, mostly faith-based, or about family, nature, imagery, all content copyrighted.

10/30/2024

a spectral being – v2

The Spirit of Truth,
a spectral being,
a breath, a whisper of God,
unseen, invisible, mysterious,
because we cannot see it,
we cannot perceive spirit,
for we know Him not…

The Spirit of Truth,
an indictment, a rebuke,
speaking out against injustice,
words we refuse, we deny,
invisible hand of God, presence,
a mystery, a whisper, a prayer,
imparted by our Father, by God…

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Edited October 30, 2024
a spectral being – v2
https://raymondafoss.blogspot.com/2024/10/a-spectral-being-v2.html
after poem, “a spectral being”,
based on the poems, “The Dream”,
St. John 14:17, God’s wrath on Russia…
by Taras Shevchenko