I’ve come to see this monument
to suffering and pain
that means to me the thing that’s meant
by standing with Ukraine.

Napoleon came where this stands.
Here failed his long campaign
against the strength of many lands,
like Russia and Ukraine.

If you have European descent,
some ancestor of yours
most likely had to fight and went
to where this grave endures.

It was no German victory.
We died on either side.
What triumphed here was sovereignty
of nations as a right.

War is a vile and evil tool.
Its price is much too high.
But that’s how mankind learned the rules
our world is living by.

Invading arbitrarily
has so been disallowed.
This step away from savagery
should make all nations proud.

To violate this isn’t brave.
It asks us all for doom.
The lonely flags invaders wave
will lie upon their tombs.

Napoleon exemplified
this lesson. Hitler did.
Now Putin tries and is defied
and all can learn from it.

United nations come to aid
as they once did right here.
They always will. The rule is made
For all of us to hear.

All future Putins must believe
when Russia’s flag gets furled.
This will be hammered in in Kyiv,
the Anvil of the World.

The hammers come at every turn.
No war! Stop now! Enough!
The lesson’s hard. It will be learned.
It is an act of love.

Слава Україні! I’m your friend
and when I’ll come to see,
I’ll stand before the monument
that crowns your victory.

I wrote and filmed this back in March, shortly before I joined an aid transport to Ukraine. Three months later, this is unfortunately still topical and probably going to be so for a while.