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52 Phonebox Magazine | June 2025OLNEY UKRAINE AID NEWSUkranian Gerrit Dirk Nooy lives in Bedford. His daughter Yonika Mackenzie-Nooy lives in Milton Keynes and they meet in Olney for coff ee at weekends.At dusk I%u2019m drawn toHypnotic fairy lights under trees:They are daff odils glowingAgainst the charcoal trunksAnd just like boxing championsThe trees show off -Gold belts clasped in front -Flower power bling!Their newly won treasureGiving spectators such thrill and pleasure. I smile with the Spring,The sweet daff odil bulbsForgiving their endless confi nement In Winter%u2019s cold clay beds %u2013 Springing up with zesty green arms And lemon sunbeam heads. Daff odils...Key workers of joy,Essential visitors from Heaven But they don%u2019t know EarthOr what her people gro - Deep bowls of bloodshedFilled with broken-stemmed bodiesA dark, congealing, fruit-crushed red; Using War%u2019s old twisted, poisonous forks To harvest what%u2019s deadAnd dig up fresh famines insteadAnd never lostAre The Hanging Gardens of Grief Full of choking vine, fear,Always watered by childrenTear after tear after tear...DAFFODILS AND THE UKRAINEDaff odils...Why do I feel this intense heartache Looking at some fragile fl owers?Is it their mighty core of peaceWrapped in beautiful, refreshing yellow %u2013 The gift I know I can%u2019t keep?Or is it that note of innocencePure as new lambs%u2019 birthBlown out from uniquely pretty trumpets, Softly to this damaged earth? But also, I%u2019m impressedFor these are little warrior fl owers Of the Springtime Cold Front With their defi ant golden aura Facing up to the stormy sky;And standing shoulder to shoulder They%u2019ll swerve and fi ght Through the blustery, black, hellish nightsShrugging off bitter wind and sleetTill Dawn%u2019s victory is complete. Next day, a war captures my mind... There%u2019s a wide yellow daff odil band Beneath the royal blue skyAnd whilst honest Nature paints their fl ag More brave Ukrainians cruelly die. But I%u2019ve seen the fi erce Angels shine,Their sapphire, unbreakable swords so divine Giving this country a protective sign:In fl ames of blue and goldA love shall be carried worldwide,A torch that will never be cast asideTo ensure Ukraine rises againWith Freedom, Faith and Pride.Father and daughter have always admired the Ukrainian fl ags fl own throughout Olney and have been grateful for the support and friendship shown by the town towards the people of Ukraine during the confl ict.Yonika wrote a poem in 2022 called %u2018Daff odils and The Ukraine%u2019 and more recently she and Gerrit have posted a copy of it through the letterboxes of all properties they have seen fl ying their country%u2019s fl ag.Here is Yonika%u2019s poem.