I use Google Translate for the shopping lists
from V, a friend in Ukraine.
Nappies, baby milk, medical staplers, burn gel,
intubation tubes (no size specified),

a little like the shopping lists from the President—
multiple rocket launch systems, Grad, Uragan,
tanks (T-72, either the American or German analogs),
air defence systems. No kidding.

Today V writes, “Thank you! We are together!”
And on his Facebook page—here Google takes over
as they take over everything—I’ll do the line breaks:

The image can be: 1 person and text
found killed hands were tied
with an iron cable blackened body—

Oksana applied on clothes and special signs
now the body is under examination in Fastov

I look on the person’s page. A recent post
details another
shopping list, a list of goods sent home
from the Kyiv region
by a Russian soldier
to his wife. Coffee grinder,
microwave ovens, TVs,

in 17 parcels.
Total weight, 440 kg.

I’m sitting on the balcony,
drinking coffee in the sunlight
619 miles from V.

Google Maps makes taking the trip
seem a perfectly sane
and logical thing to do.

It would take me 13 hours and 21 minutes.