Mothers and Wars

Bang,

Bang,

And Bang

Head moved

At once removed

From prayer

To stare

A brush

To push

No hush

Or rush

Stealing silence

With her defiance

In a church

To lurch

First annoyance

Maybe penance

Bang,

Bang,

And bang,

No longer bowed

And cowed

Not kneeling

Sitting

Watching

A lady

Clean

Beam

Headphones on

Her face shone

Head moving

Body grooving

Brush

Push

Side to side

Banging pews

Bright hues

Pink hat

Red hair sat

Refugee

Absentee

From war

Fled to this shore

In Thomastown

A place of no renown

Sanctuary

From obituary

After obituary

After obituary

Half a million souls

These heavy tolls

Rivers of blood

For what good

So Putin can reign

In Ukraine,

Bang,

Bang,

And bang,

Sons

With guns

Soldier daughters

Brought to slaughter

Drones

To bones

Evil sneers

Mammy’s tears

Bang.

Bang,

And bang,

Her phone rings

Brush dropped

Eyes popped

Stumble

Rumble

Phone

Found

Mother Ukraine

Runs out into rain

To listen to pain

Driven Insane

Love

For sons

For daughters

For husband

For family

For friends

Millions destroyed

But he enjoyed

Their suffering deployed

To sate his evil

For a nation’s upheaval

Church door slowly swings

Heavy heart she brings

Mother Ukraine

Clearly in pain

Slowly walks

Finished her talk

Sits on pew

Her heart shot through

Silence

Remains her chains

Dear God

Your house

Your rules

Cannot forgive

But you let him live

Help understand

Some scheme that’s grand

With that she stands

Picks up her brush

To push

Bang,

Bang,

And bang.