Face to Face

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself” Soren Kierkegaard

“Never trust your fears, they don’t know your strength.” Athena Singh

“To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.” – Bertrand Russell

“If the truth shall kill them, let them die.” Immanuel Kant

As the war in Ukraine rages on, Russian forces appearing to persistently and deliberately targeting civilians, we hear tales of inspirational courage among unimaginable horror; not least those civilians, some of them students, being taught how to load and fire guns in the event of their being faced with the ultimate choice, kill or be killed.

FACE TO FACE

Looking death in the face,
day after day,
huddled together for warmth
in temperatures
below zero and still falling,
life forces siding
with us as we try to stare Death out,
food for thought

Looking death in the face,
night after night,
unable to sleep, hopes fading
for any tomorrows
being any kinder to us here,
where we shelter
from invading forces, no safe havens
even for civilians

Looking death in the face,
night after night,
having to put on a brave face
for the children,
while haunted even more
by its greedy eyes,
no empathy with our all but starving here,
only devilish sneer

Looking death in the face,
thoughts struggling
to break free of this copycat hell
underground,
yet even worse, above,
always expecting
yet another air raid siren warning us to flee
this ruin of humanity

Looking death in the face,
but mind-body-spirit
not ready yet to have to have it
feed on its surrounds
of flesh and bone and more,
ever taking heart
from a free willpower resolved not to cave in,
shoot its enemies down

Never handled a weapon, me, a person of peace,
but will fight Death on my terms, not his... 

Copyright R. N. Taber, 2022