At the beginning of this month, the initiative Students for Ukraine, organized by students from the Prague Theatre Academy in collaboration with Czech TV, streamed 72 hours of nonstop performances in support of Ukraine in the midst of Russian aggression. The livestream took place at the National Theater in Prague with the goal of raising money for the humanitarian organization People in Need.
Students at NYU were encouraged to participate in this livestream. Below is an original poem by undergraduate Mason Bleu, who recited his work at the National Theater on the morning of March 3rd.
By Mason Bleu
we ask
for peace and love spread through the clouds
instead of smoke from fighting making ears ring loud
when times are hard and there’s no redress
(and even in this time of stress)
we ask for peace and quiet to lay youth to rest
from broken trust that can’t be mend
solidarity placed in neighbor’s who disguised themselves as friends
we ask for pain to be relieved
battlefields turned into trees
for life is lost in times of war
where protectors pass for the lives of more
we ask that life return to those lost in fight
through memory we ask to always keep their light
their hearts so pure intentions right
the goal of freedom always in sight
we ask that things can change tonight
and for freedom we ask; it is your right
Ukraine with you we’ll always stand
with you we rise and take a chance
with you we fight hand in hand
we ask that they get off your land.