London’s lost its manners
Crimean confrontation
The U.K. plays it down
Russia cranks it up
Britain
prepared to sail
Moscow
turbining water warplanes
shots fired
—a warning!
more exercises
calisthenics
for gunnery and naval
Kremlin’s gambit
London’s retort
to Russo acquisition
of Crimea from Ukraine
(not the U.K.)
Cape Fiolent
poised
for violent
posturing
planned provocation
bomb on target
if violated
conflicting accounts
respect demanded?
or appeal to common sense?
defense ministry attack jets
HMS Defender
Who’s lying?
Who’s not?
About the Poem
The navies of Russia and the Western countries continue posturing in Crimea’s disputed waters. While these types of situations occur every year, this particularly poignant back-and-forth is still going on. It’s indicative of a growing outright hostility with Russia that suggests bigger confrontations to come.
About the Author
Ethan Cunningham’s short works appear in print, on stage, and on-screen, but most recently in
Abstract Elephant, Ygdrasil, and New Plains Review. He is a daily newshound and deeply concerned about the state of world affairs.