The Perils Of Putin's Perestroika Poem by Andrew Wilson

It was November 1989
The day the sun began to shine
A period from 1961, that we must now dwell upon.

The German Democratic Republic
They made those first steps
The physics and ideals, oh how people wept.

The wall did segregate, divide and conquer
But remember, remember, the rise of perestroika!

The wall it severed East Berlin, separate from the West,
They built the wall at that time, thinking it for the best.

Those death strips and those beds of nails, today seem anachronistic
Alternative steps back then were well and truly ballistic

This wall of shame, it caused much pain, remember Willy Brandt?
Though largely ignored by those in power, no matter how he would rant.

I remember that day in 89, the joy and the elation,
Could this really be an end to all the global consternation.

I visited the year aft,1990, a great year,
Spent my time on Kudamm, drinking lots of beer.

No lights in the East, the contrast to the West,
Alexander Platz and Potsdam, to wonder, so bereft. To stare in awe at what was left, no this isn't civilisation at its best.

So now we come to 2022, Putin makes his move
Who knows where this will end, surely it will end in lose lose?

The people of Russia gave this man their trust, despite his greed and power lust.

Odds on chances he would choose,
The Ukraine it will suffer,
But from the west, just words not action Biden and Johnson did surely stutter.

Baby steps, restrictions made, football games would not be played, really are we serious? Must Putin be obeyed?

This playground bully, who wields such power, the world it failed to act, but slowly we will realise Putin's plans, he's made his funeral pact.

So as we all prayed for good, the West it did awake, steps were taken to support, humanity our only hope, the war rages on, but we live sure in the belief, at the end of this, we'll see so much awful loss, but hopefully feel relief.