A limited etymology of War.

Tonight, I stand with the people of Ukraine,

the only feud for everything not Ukraine

a big man entitled, tells us, perhaps –

tonight, I will use the word perhaps, for its supposition

its calling for anxiety – is cultural.

tonight, I do not mind cultural, each country

has its divisions, their own biases, apparently – tonight I

will use the word apparently, its supposition

and its calling for doubt which might give us

puzzles after puzzles to solve, every country breathes

in differences, from the mouth to the bum

it echoes, there is no country where – tonight I will use where,

its supposition, our longing for a place

at which everything ends – its people hope the same hope,

tonight I wish as insane as a kiddo, militants

to leave the land, leave it to people,

just people, to inhabitants – tonight

I will use the word inhabitant, its supposition, I who know very little

Although Europe, Although East,

Although Russia, Although Soviet,

Although History, Although Gorbachev

Although Oligarchy, Although Putin,

I who have left myself, this whole one life, to galleries

and frames

and poems

and novels

and friendships

and artistry

tonight, I will use the word and, its supposition, to write

how even language fails to catalogue war – Tonight

I stand with the people of Ukraine.