Artem Chekh saw some death
In 2014, Donbas front lines
Back then death was more limited
They knew the names who died
Now they bury by the dozens
Every day and everywhere
A flood of twisted fallen faces
A national despair
Missile attacks on residential areas, hospitals, theaters, schools
Brutal torture, mass graves, mutilated children
Dead bodies buried in apartment building courtyards
How should we comprehend a six-year-old girl dying of dehydration, huddled under the ruins of her house with her already-dead mother?
Facebook group obituaries
Make a daily read
Artem has lost friends and family
Who now next to bleed
Artem’s back in service now
Stationed in the West
Soldiers rotate to the East
The hellish slog Donbas
Fresh face kids go off to war
Talking, singing, laughing
They come back tired and battle-worn
Quiet, far-eyed, somber
In 2014 Artem feared for his life
Hoping it not his time
Now he’s more resigned to death
And more calmly walks the line
Artem tightens up his boots
To give what he can give
A person too afraid to die
Is too afraid to live
Artem knows his duty
It’s mud and blood and grime
Life goals are so simple now
See his family one more time
He fights to give them better lives
And give them better deaths
Putin’s world will not hold sway
While Artem holds a breath
Waipahu Bob 