My friend, Maria Kirichenko by Vineetha Mekkoth

My friend, Maria Kirichenko, is an artist
Her paintings are so real
I love the way she captures the light
That falls on the side of a house
In the woods by the fields
There's a brilliance there
There's life in those paintings
She draws people too
Some smiling, some serious
She lives in Ukraine
She shares pictures of the war
Her country under siege
I worry
I worry about her, her art, her life
I worry about the life, lives around her
I message her to stay safe for that's all that I can do
I, like many others, am a silent witness
I do not want to know the nitty-gritty
Of what is politically right
Or left or centre
Politics of war are men's creation
My thoughts are from the human angle
All I care for is that my friend is happy and safe
I want the attacks to stop. Childish me.
Or are these just the normal thoughts of a woman?
Women go to war only if attacked.
Not for material needs. Not out of greed.
Not for power. Never out of ambition.
Maybe countries should be run by women
There would be less aggression
And as my thoughts go round in circles
I think of Maria Kirichenko
I think of her beautiful paintings
I think of the once pristine land of Ukraine
And hope that light dawns with the coming year
In the minds of men