Ukraine Dispatch 23 | ANYHOWS! In Light of the War in Ukraine (Blog Edition)

Ukraine Dispatches

Volume I 2022

When Anyhows was first published on May 26, 2012, I received that same week a moving letter from a correspondent. He was happy for his letter to appear but to merely refer to his first name and his city: Steve Manchester: A Letter of Encouragement. These two pieces perfectly interlock.

Tuesday, 2 August 2022

Children were executed
And the world stood idly by

A shrug of the shoulders:

It’s how it goes and anyhows,
not my problem – now where’s my coffee?’

It’s no good looking at me like that,
there’s nothing we can do anyhows,
as well you know!

And I must keep my eye 
on the FTSE index coz 
I've got pension shares.
And anyhows, Syria and Iran
They’re just too far away for me
to even worry about.
Nowt there
is gonna affect me here!

I told you to stop looking at me like that!
I don’t like it. 
You seem to sear me with a
red hot poker 
and that’s a breach of
my human rights!

Which reminds me,
I must mark a cross on the calendar
for Monday – going on strike
We’re working too many hours
And anyhows that DOES affect me.

And anyhows – what you mean
I should be looking at Mariupol on the box?
You said that about Houla in 2012.
And I told yuse then,
I don’t do houla hoops these days.

Anyhows, who are you anyways?

Conscience?
What you mean, conscience?
Go away.

What? What about Ukraine?!
As I said, nowt to do with me.
Anyhows, I got me-self to think about.

Hey, luvvie can I 'ave another
hot choccy and one of 'em pastries?
Yeah. Thanks. Wicked!
I 'spose you'd better get this here bloke
a coffee too! I dunno!
Trouble is I'm just too generous to a "T".

Hey, What you mean?
There's no one here?!
I’ll get yuse da sack!!
Mark my words like!
Bloody cheek!!

August 2, 2022
All Rights Reserved

© Kenneth Thomas Webb 2022

Author Note

Written on the moment's spur on 26 May 2012, in light of the terrible reports on News 24, this hour, of more than two hundred executions in the town of Houla, Syria in the last 24 hours. As I write, not one country within the UN has even registered a protest. It reminds me of the League of Nations in the 1930s that couldn't deal with the Nazis.

When Anyhows was first published I received that same week a moving letter from a correspondent. He was happy for his letter to appear but to merely refer to his first name and his city. 

Readers can see that letter from Steve Manchester here.

Writing is something of a roller coaster. Those who say it is not, then I probably would not enjoy reading their work, good even though it may be. 

In light of the War in Ukraine, the war in Europe that politicians said we’d never see the likes of again, and in light of Hong Kong and Taiwan, it’s right to bring this up-to-date.

Human nature is as bad as ever. It has in every century, and every century says it is now reformed, and then the next orgy of killing commences.

Banner Image : Photo by Sammy Williams on Unsplash