Bolshoy Medved

painting of "The Hope" by Vika Muse.

Bolshoy Medved

“When the Bear begins to dance, it is not you who

decides when the dance is over--it’s the bear.”

--Russian Proverb.

The Russian Bear

is a bastard behemoth;

smaller now than before

the fall of the wall,

but still gargantuan,

            monstrous,

            bestial,

            feral and

            blood-thirsty.

When aroused

it will devour

men, women, and children;

an equal opportunity

slayer.

Normally

it wears a huge cruel spiked collar,

and is held fast by

a thousand ship’s anchor chains;

like King Kong,

too dangerous to tame.

Putin has loosed it

on the whole of Ukraine,

where it’s vicious love affair 

with slaughter seems

never-ending.

The brave population of Ukraine,

though dying by the thousands,

continue to battle the bruin,

as America watches from afar.

The incredible spirit

of the Ukrainian people

rides a horse of light,

and carries a shining lance

that can slay dragons and bear,

and we do see the great bear

bleeding and limping, retreating

and licking its wounds.

We marvel at the visceral bravery

of the Ukrainians, and marvel further

at the flocks of white doves,

that fly into dangerous skies

making a protective murmuration,

offering peace in the iron sky

full of Russian missiles.

It is a fact that it is

hard to target one bird

amongst a moving flock

of millions.

It is written

that the warriors of light

will ultimately defeat

the evil forces of darkness;

meanwhile

the scorched landscape

is littered with broken wings,

                       broken dreams

and empty promises.

Glenn Buttkus

Poetics

Posted over at d'Verse Poet's Pub