What price? (a sparrowlet)

~ paeansunplugged

She watches news, her heart in mouth
The world is again headed south
No room for contrarian views
Her teenagers she’s worried ’bout
World leaders, to engage, refuse
Her heart in mouth, she watches news

Glued to the screen, with bated breath
None can measure her grief’s depth
Nor any hear her poor heart keen
Dried eyed she watches dance of death
‘t was certainly not unforeseen
With bated breath, glued to the screen

Innocent dreams, put on a hold
For ruthless ambition oh so cold
The world is wringing hands it seems
As destruction one sees unfold
Under the gaze of fazed moonbeams
Put on a hold, innocent dreams

Written for dVerse. Today’s host, Grace, says: To write the sparrowlet poem using the guidelines as described here.

(My cousin’s kids are studying medicine in Ukraine. Their teachers and college authorities kept assuring them all is fine. By the time our government issued an advisory for them to return and they could make arrangements, the airspace was already closed. Hopefully they will be crossing over to Romania by road tonight or tomorrow. We are keeping our fingers crossed.)

101 thoughts on “What price? (a sparrowlet)”

  2. Oh .. Punam, I sincerely hope your cousin’s will come through ok, My heart sinks with the disturbing sounds of war … .. I have just writing this verse ..

    “The Final Sunset”

    Wrong versus right
    War versus peace
    Greed versus commonsense
    Destruction versus harmony
    Killing versus living

    War is not the people’s choice

    Is this to be our final sunset
    Will she justifiably refuse
    To open her golden eye
    Upon another shattering dawn
    Over our manufactured doom

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  8. Linke on Twitter, hope that is ok. Powerful verse, words are important, and your poetry is therapy for me.. I hope yr cousin’s kids got to Romania, There may be serious delays at the border. if there is trouble PLEASE let me know. Am in Hungary on my way to Ukraine, and if there are problems can maybe advise or possibly? help in some way. If there are problems at all in Romania, please remember that in Serbia next door Indian people do not need visas so entry is easy, and they can depart from Romania where there may be such issues. Hostels are cheap and safe. Serbians are welcoming. Romanians are too, most of the time. If they are stuck in Ukraine they should make their way to a city like Uzghorod where there is accomodation at 4 Euro a night and is safe because it is on the border with Slovakia.

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    1. That’s okay, Ain…thank you.
      Thank you so much for your words…so comforting in these times of stress. I think the Indian embassy is taking care of moving them to Romania. Will get a word by tomorrow morning.
      Will pass on all the information you have shared…I am sure they will find it helpful.
      Thanks once again, Ain. Truly grateful. 🙏🏼

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  9. This situation is horrible – your poem is however wonderful! You have captured all the feelings and the very real situation. As this post shows – war affects the whole world and not just the little area being attacked! Prayers being said….

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  16. Ruthless and cold hearts indeed, it is unhathomable to our poetry hearts that this reality is still real. It is painful and hurtful, to our planet. Wishing your cousin’s family a safe return soonest.

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  17. I hope they will be okay. This is very moving and we are one with them in their journey. Sadly the tyrant has ambitions that will destroy and affect us all. Thanks for joining in.

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  20. My heart goes out to all the innocents caught up in this awful and unnecessary conflict. I hope you have word soon that your loved ones are safe. Your poem is a great use of the form on a sad and dismaying topic,

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    1. No, men can’t leave but women and kids are leaving. Some are staying back. The students from Kyiv and Kharkiv are finding it especially difficult to get out and the borders of neighbouring countries are more than 800 km for them. Prayers for all caught in this unnecessary show of power.

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      2. The people are helpful but cabs have run out of fuel, trains and buses are not running regularly because of shelling. Some of them have walked 30-40 kms. They are not used to the cold. Our government is picking them from safe countries, doing nothing about evacuation from Ukraine.

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      4. Of course, it is very difficult now. Had our government acted like the rest in time (in issuing advisory to leave), there would have been no need for evacuation.

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    1. Borders had to be closed from time to time because there were too many people trying to crossover. My niece reached Delhi on Sunday morning and my nephew reached Romania today morning. We are very grateful that they are safe but there are still so many students stuck in Kyiv and Kharkiv. It is heartbreaking to watch the sufferings of Ukrainians.
      Where are we heading, I wonder. You all too must be affected by it.

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  31. Punam, your timely poem expresses so well how people all over the world are feeling. The last four or five years have shown me that unimaginable, senseless things can still happen in our supposedly “civilized” society. Human greed and aggression, it seems, are evergreen.

    Hope all is well with your cousin’s children! ❤ Take care.

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    1. David, the daughter returned yesterday. But her younger brother is still stuck there. He was supposed to cross the border yesterday morning but it did not happen. We are hoping he will be in Romania today. Keeping our fingers crossed.

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  33. ouch, you poem says it all, sorry … you are all in my prayers! That they please please get out to safety … Putin is ruthless so he will not show any mercy 😦

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    1. Only around a thousand students are back, rest are still there. The videos they are sharing and their pleas for evacuation is heartbreaking. As is the condition of Ukrainians.
      Grateful for your prayers. 🙏🏼

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