A Room of My Own: In Between Haiku

buzzing of flies 

in between

the Bakhmut bombings

FYI: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the city, where the war's longest and bloodiest battle has raged since August, was "not occupied" by Russia "as of today." 

-- BBC News, May 21: Bakhmut "not occupied" by Russia, says defiant Zelensky

Added:

the President replies 

Bakhmut is only in our hearts -- 

a soldier swipes

through cellphone photos, sighing

killed, killed, killed, wounded, killed ...

FYI: The Associated Press, May 21: Zelenskyy says ‘Bakhmut is only in our hearts’ after Russia claims control of Ukrainian city

Today, Bakhmut is only in our hearts. There is nothing on this place, just ground and a lot of dead Russians... Our defenders in Bakhmut ... did strong work, and of course we appreciate them...

Added:

in the dugout

a recruit groans, I hate weapons

and gory violence

as if he still didn't know

where he was ...Bakhmut

Added:

smell of spring

wildflowers bloom red

on trench walls

Added:

spring counteroffensive ...

the buzzing sound 

of an old man's meat grinder

FYI: i24news, May 25, Tel Aviv, Israel: Zelensky’s advisor says Ukraine began long-awaited counteroffensive

'We will use the weapons you gave us to destroy Russian positions on the territories that Moscow has occupied,' Podolyak promises Italians

Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, told Italian TV on Thursday that Ukraine began its long-awaited counteroffensive “several days ago.”