Tikhanovskaya
Marc Chagall,
Cumpleanos, 1915, MOMA
To become a heroine
of her country’s cause
she was not destined
but her husband’s arrest
brought out her best.
Mother, housewife and schoolteacher
a politician not
a reluctant leader
but she rose to the moment
and became a mighty opponent.
Lukashenko is a petty despot
too long in the saddle, a zealot
his days are numbered
his end is nigh
and we all know why.
Courage is a commodity
of which most all of us
would want prodigally
even as bravery exacts a toll
that can deflect from the goal
Svetlana, you are an example
that others will want to sample
your country's struggle will take time to prevail
but avail it will
and as it does, you will be remembered still
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