If I could visit magical Kyiv,
In the bright effulgence of spring
I would feast my eyes on the
Architectural splendors
That mirror her people’s sturdy souls.
Then I’d stroll along the Dnieper
Where children frolic in cool waters
I’d hear buskers playing fabled songs
That sprang from ancestral souls.
The intoxicating aroma of fresh borsht,
Meats and pastries would so allure
That I would gravitate like a magnet
To a charming café to savour each delight.
Sunflowers and trees would be blossomed full
And cheerful birdsongs would grace the air.
The streets would be a blur of bikes and autos -
All a-scurry with the bustle of daily enterprise.
I would exchange the required hryvnia
For a chair at the Municipal Opera
To weep or laugh with Bohéme or Zauberflöte
Or perhaps a Shevchenko work or two.
I close my eyes in prayer for the peace
That all Ukrainians are meant to have.
My burning soul is with you always
And aches to tell you, face to face
Ukraine, Kyiv, Deliverance, Peace