I wake up.
Russia will invade soon.
I eat my breakfast.
Russia will invade soon.
I go shopping.
Russia will invade soon.
I buy buckwheat and chocolate.
Russia will invade soon.
I take a bus to work.
Russia will invade soon.
I explain to my students the orthography of compound adjectives.
Russia will invade soon.
That “військово-промисловий”* has a dash.
Russia will invade soon.
And “військовополонений”* has none.
Russia will invade soon.
I give them homework for Thursday.
Russia will invade soon.
It all consists of future tense exercises.
Russia will invade soon.
My students say the exams are coming.
Russia will invade soon.
My friends say we can’t know what will happen for sure.
Russia will invade soon.
My employer says the best we can do now is focus on our work.
Russia will invade soon.
My mother says everything will be fine.
Russia will invade soon.
My wretched nerves say
Russia will invade soon.
There’s a loud noise outside. I come closer to the window and listen. Then watch a trash truck leave.
Russia invaded soon.
But the sky, I remember, the sky those days was treacherously blue.
*військово-промисловий – Ukrainian for “military industrial.”
*військовополонений – Ukrainian for “prisoner of war.”
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Marichka Panfiorova was born and raised in Kyiv. Last year, she got her master’s degree in Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, majoring in Ukrainian philology. She worked as a freelance editor and a private teacher before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February, but with the escalation of the war was forced to leave Kyiv and move to the far west of the country.
She remains an active part of the Ukrainian writing community, being a member of “Райтенчіл” writing club and a regular participant of Ukrainian NaNoWriMo events.
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Image By: Marichka Panfiorova