Here was a human one day

In memory of Maksym "Dali" Kryvtsov

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Nazar Furyk 🇺🇦 on Instagram: “Ukrainian poet and serviceman Maksym Kryvtsov, call sign «Dali», was killed fighting Russian troops on January 7 at the age of 33. Today relatives, friends, and people who know him came to the funeral ceremony in Saint Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery and on Maidan Nezalezhnosti. January 11, 2024, Kyiv.”

January 11, 2024

It's sad and painful; it tears at my heart and mind to think that Maksym, like many other thousands of truly virtuous Ukrainian citizens, are not here anymore. Without individuals like Maksym, we could have witnessed even more death and terror, extending beyond Ukrainian borders to impact other European countries. Of course, this is an assumption. But if it were to happen, if Russia were to start killing Poles, Estonians, Germans, French, what would the world look like then?

Fortunately today Russia kills people predominantly only in Ukraine, in my own country, sounds horrible, but it’s true enough to sound legit though it feels like a sharp knife in my chest. And the world, the West did everything good and bad to keep the war contained within my country’s borders. From that perspective seems not all wars are bad, isn’t it? Even worse war can happen, and even worse things could come true.

I recently recalled a memory of the New Year's Eve of 2022/2023, speaking to a fairly concerned man about the war. I remember how he exuded confidence that Russia would lose in a couple of months, and that seemed a legitimate perspective for an observer, especially one immersed in the whirlwinds of fast media. This highlights one of the significant problems in today's world — the speed at which it moves from one thing to another, losing the ability to finish important tasks in a timely and proper manner. This, in turn, hinders our ability to focus on other important matters built on top. The world lacks concentration; it has become a lover of sights and sounds, akin to the fast-paced nature of platforms. The world is TikTok.

The world's success depends on the political will of the people, not just politicians, but civil societies. I often find myself pondering the nature of the crisis we face today. Take the US elections, for example. The drama unfolds between those who aim to preserve 'the American way of life' (whatever that may mean) and those who, at first glance, strive to maintain global order and pave the way for democratic advancement. However, a closer look reveals that the latter group is often paralysed, and unable to act promptly when needed. I refer to the events of the summer of 2022 when there was a window for Ukraine to push Russia from the South, with high chances of success if the West had provided the necessary artillery, and ammunition, exactly when it was requested.

Among other examples are people who persist in promoting the idea of 'big powers fighting in Ukraine', framing it as a resistance against 'American imperialism.' To me, this stance appears somewhat grotesque because, in essence, they seem to echo the very words of American imperial propaganda from the 90s, asserting, 'we are controlling and watching every inch of the world.' This prompts me to pose the question once more to myself: what kind of crisis are we in the midst of?

The world is bathed in the shadows of GDP numbers and consumer indexes, residing in its self-made warm and cosy Plato’s cave — a place where images are often mistaken for reality. While some individuals notice the cracks in the cave's ceiling, they represent only a small fraction of those who are genuinely concerned. The vast majority of the world seems ignorant of these issues. I fear that there might not be enough people willing to mount ceiling beams for support by the time when it needs to be done.

A boy
pierced by bullets
death’s injections
right before the moment
when invisible lads clothed in wore off pixel-camo
will come to take him away
to bring him
to another field
covered by poppies and сornflowers
through a shaw
with cherry, vyshnia and apple trees
has whispered calmly:

“This is the end of my story at last”.

A human comes to an end
like a bread
in a local store in a residential area
Iike water in a tap
when there is a main pipeline accident
like a summer comes to an end
like a marathon’s breath comes to an end
like a day comes to an end
like a light during a blackout comes to an end
like an ammo ends during the combat
like an argument ends between wedded in the dining room
like a conversation ends
like a date ends
like a journey ends
like a wine ends in the Eucharist cup
So
today
I will not put the full stop

***

The world is in pain
like a sore throat
sing me about the silence
be quiet about the sea
pathetic and poetic

The world is in pain
in convulsions
tell me about the sky
and though I stay outside
it’s only a glass
cause

the world is in pain
already unconscious
tell him at last
touch with a brow
lips
and shall resurrect
and shall rise

Here was a human one day
here was a human one day
here
was
a human
one day

The world is in pain, and I am part of that world. I grieve for the Human, I grieve for all my fellow Ukrainians that are in the field covered by poppies and сornflowers. I feel like I’m losing my family and parts of myself.