Dear Aleksei,
How proudly did you lay the foundations of my Earth?
My God and Creator,
Beautiful fields and plains marked by blue water,
The bridge of your nose the horizon,
The blush of your cheeks the clouds,
The pupils of your eyes the sunshine,
I wandered your woods and smelt your daylight.
Dear Aleksei,
Since ancient beginnings nations moved,
And danced,
As lovers, haunting the nights of history
With the cries of the righteous,
The wicked,
The innocent,
And you.
Dear Aleksei,
Why did you find your place among that
Doomed dance of Giants?
Sometimes, when the light shines clear
Through my windowpane back home,
I can see your face in the floating dust,
I yearn to weave my words around you,
To bring you home from eternity.
Dear Aleksei,
Mist crosses the lake in the early morning,
Your eyes watch me from the depths,
Empty and alone,
I bid you farewell until eternity,
Knowing deep in my heart
I will not see you there.
Henry Plavidal is a junior majoring in Film at the School of Visual Arts. "I want those who are reading this issue to consider donating to the Armed Forces of Ukraine to aid their defense of their nation," Henry says. "The horrors that Izium and Bucha and Mariupol have faced can be prevented if the world stands with Ukraine. We must stand on the right side of history."