By Douglas J. Lanzo
Copyright 2022

First published in Westward Quarterly (Spring 2022 Issue)

Dedicated to Denys Karachevtsev, renowned Kharkiv cellist who lit up the world

Resonating through ruins and rubble,
somber notes of Bach on cello
give haunting voice to a city
whose beauty of spirit yet lives on
inside the brave hearts of its people,
refusing to be crushed by arms,
united in their love of freedom,
ever thirsting to return to peace.