Sonya M Poetry, Kyiv

I, Sonya Marchenko, am the author of this collection of poems entitled "The Twenty-Fourth". 

This collection is my story and the story of our country in times of trial. In these lines are pain and hope, fear and courage, loss and love for the native land. This is a confession about how Ukrainians hold on, despite all the difficulties. 

Each poem is a separate event or feeling that passed through me. This is a story about how the war changed us all: hardened us, made us stronger, taught us to appreciate life. 

The collection is dedicated to everyone: to the soldiers who defend our land, to those who hold the rear, to those who were forced to leave their homes, and to those who lost the most precious thing. This is for those who dream of peace and do everything to make it come. I remember the day it all began.

February 24, 2022. I was woken up by a loud explosion. At first I couldn’t understand what was happening. It seemed like a dream, but reality turned out to be worse. Fear gripped my whole body, my hands were shaking, and my heart was pounding as if it was about to jump out of my chest. I sat by the window and watched the dark sky being torn apart by flashes. It was scary, hard to breathe, and it seemed that words no longer meant anything. But then I took a piece of paper and a pen. I started writing because it helped me survive. Each poem became a way to throw out fear, anger, and pain. I wrote about explosions, about tears, about the silence that hung over the city. But at the same time, I wrote about courage, about people who don’t give up, and about the hope that remains inside us.

This collection is not only the story of war, but also about how it changed me. I realized how important it is to appreciate even the smallest moments of life: a quiet evening, the smiles of relatives, silence.  My poems also unite me with others. With those who were forced to leave their homes, with those who defend our land, and with those who lost everything but did not break. I want everyone, reading this collection, to remember: even in the darkest times there is hope. We, Ukrainians, are strong and invincible. And this is our strength. "Twenty-fourth" is not just a book. It is a memory and a reminder of what we have experienced, of our struggle and faith in victory. We will endure. 

Glory to Ukraine! Glory to Heroes!

And then—a rocket hits... 

Though not a single sound was heard. He stepped outside for just a sip, A simple act, yet so absurd. 

His family hid behind the walls, Between the stones, so cold, so gray. They followed all the war-time rules, But rules don’t keep death far away. "It’s just roulette," they used to say, "No matter where—we die someday." Three perished there, one mother too, A man lost all he ever knew. He never thought a fleeting breath Would steal them all—his soul, his love. His wife, his daughter, and himself... This war shows mercy to no one. "I love them more than words can tell, More than the roads, the brakes, the air." Yet war’s a curse, a living hell,  A burden far too great to bear. This story’s tragic, yet it’s real, A fate too many come to know. So never think that war is still Just something sad—it’s death and woe. War is pain, war is loss, It steals the ones we hold so close. It rips our hearts, it drowns our hopes, And leaves the world an empty ghost.

Best Friend  

You were the best I ever had, 

The one who saved me when times were bad. An angel, truly—thank you so, 

Because of you, I live, I know. 

I’m in shock, I can’t believe, 

You fought for me, refused to leave. You struck him down with all your might, Then whispered, “Hide. Stay out of sight.” I still recall—you carried me, 

Though wounds had left you on one knee. Your hands were red, your leg was gone, But still, you swore you’d carry on. 

We ran through ruins, cold and dark, Then blasts rang out—deafening sparks. Yet none of it could slow you down, You only yelled, “Get underground!” I pried the cellar door apart, 

Curled up there, naked, frozen, scarred. We waited there, half-dead, afraid, Until you left for water’s aid. And then I saw—the crimson tide, 

Your breath cut short, your words denied. Your body fell, your life was done, A bullet stole you, just like that—gone.

#Ukraine #2014 #Euromaidan #war | Ukraine military, Tunnel of love  Pinterest 

(taken from Pinterest)  

The voices sneered, “Is someone near?” And threw your lifeless body here. Still warm, but fading, over me, 

Where once you held my hands in heat. I bit my lips, I held my breath, 

Praying they would spare me death. I heard them mutter, “Clear inside.” And then I broke—I sobbed, I cried. 

My Sunflower, where did you go? The one who fought, the one who’d know, The one who dreamt and stayed so true— Now lost… and I can’t follow you. You were a hero, seventeen, 

But in my heart, you’ll always be. I know you’re watching from the sky, Your golden petals soaring high. So I will fight, I’ll make you proud, I’ll scream your name, I’ll shout it loud. I pray you rest, my dearest friend, I’ll love you always—till the end.

This book is more than just a collection of poems. It is the voice of a generation that grew up amidst fear, yet never lost the ability to love.  It is the heartbeat that echoed in the rhythm of sirens but still searched for beauty in the sunrise. It is proof that even when the world is falling apart, words remain — as memory, as witness, as hope. I wrote these lines while explosions echoed outside my window, when fear clouded people’s eyes — and yet, their strength still shone through. Each poem is a moment torn from war, yet filled with life. This is my way of speaking the truth, of not staying silent about pain, and at the same time — of searching for meaning and light where it once seemed lost. Thank you to everyone who opened this book, who read even one stanza, who felt something real. If even one word found a place in your heart — then it was all worth it. Because poetry is not an escape from reality. It is a way to survive it. With love for life, with faith in victory,