Under the auspices of Pen Romania, the volume Înainte de zori. Un altfel de jurnal al rezistenței ucrainene (Before Dawn: A Different Kind of Diary of Ukrainian Resistance – poetry and short prose) has been published. It is the work of Oksana Stomina, a Ukrainian writer, poet, and prose author, recently translated by Mihaela Herbil and published by Școala Ardeleană Publishing House in the Vertical collection, under the auspices of Pen Romania.
Born in 1972 in Mariupol (Ukraine), Oksana Stomina is a poet and prose writer, human rights activist, organizer of social, literary, legal, and charitable activities and campaigns, and founder of the non-governmental organization «Паперові сходи» / “Paperovi Skhody” (“Paper Stairs”), winner of the “Юрій Каплан” / “Yuri Kaplan” and “Слов›янські традиції” / “Slavic Traditions” literary awards, and one of the winners of the “Ми після 24 лютого 2022 року” / “We After February 24, 2022” competition (Poland).
She is the author and editor of books about war: По живому. Навколовоєнні щоденники / Live. Diaries from the War Zone (in Ukrainian), Der Krieg Kommt Ohne Einladung / War Comes Without Invitation (in German), Per širdį / Through the Heart (in Lithuanian), Near the War. Ukrainian Diaries (in English).
Her work—assisting and recording the horrors of war—as part of the “Documenting Ukraine” project is supported by The Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna.
Oksana Stamina
Duck
to the ones murdered in their dwellings
The morning is slowly dripping from mourning sky.
The wound of the building across is glaringly wide.
It’s so enormous, the sunlight is getting through
And I’m helplessly stuck in the nightmare truth
I refuse to believe my eyes focusing on this painful scene
As the walls resonate with despair of- “ a duck is swimming”…
That house across was hit right in the heart by the shelling.
For so many people it used to be such a happy dwelling,
It’s as if they appear alive, and so nonchalant, that’s all,
Keep on swimming, dear duck, stop tearing apart my soul
Those people who lived here were innocent, that is why
Just their spirits should soar over the roof as they don’t really die!
So, do not you, treacherous bird, close the sky for them now!
It’s way too late to spread wings above them for cover!
March 2022, Maryupil
“ a duck is swimming” – Ukrainian mournful song
Translation by Gari Light