UKRAINIAN (K)NIGHT

a tribute to Sonnet 66 by William Shakespeare

Owed to Ewa Jaworska

An awkward feeling on the battlefield,
Which hides beneath the gardens and the flowers:
The armor, forged by lies, thick silence for the shield,
The blind helmet, the sword that lost its powers.

Endearing paradise: where mother cooks her son.
Where heroes drown in wells of stinking slander.
Where gangsters rule the country and have fun.
Where truth is curved into a cheap meander.

Where whores and witches openly profess
At courts and Parliament. The spells of evil wizards
Make human herd enjoy this to excess:
"Eat dirt, forget the past and crawl like lizards!"

...Dark is the night. And not a word of love
Would bring the light and wisdom from Above.

September 24, 2012
Odessa, Ukraine