Frontline Zone

Poem by Alek Rybczynski translated from Polish

We live in the frontline zone, we live on the border of heaven and hell;

Torn by the ravenous fangs of war's prophets;

We refuse the march with a rifle on our backs;

And let the whispers of evil slip past our ears;

We try to save dignity and remember the places and people;

Who paused in our life with a tiny flame of beauty.

We cry out for reinforcements;

Through decimated, bleeding ranks;

Calling to halt weapon transports;

Our voices lost in silence;

Patrols cutting through darkness;

Piercing the fog of endless hunt.

We hurriedly write the music of hearts;

And follow the trace of life;

Lifting our feet slightly above the ground;

This is all that remains to us – saving memory;

That will never surrender to reset.

Above our heads, we hear rockets flying;

But most wounding are the shameless messages;

Of radio music boxes and television terminators;

We endure in a world of barbed wire;

Ghosts of bombs, the singing of fools;

Madmen and usurpers.

We cry out for reinforcements;

Through decimated, bleeding ranks;

Calling to halt weapon transports;

Our voices lost in silence;

Patrols cutting through darkness;

Piercing the fog of endless hunt.

I am a Polish Canadian poet, writer, journalist, editor and videographer. I have published many poetry books, and received prestigious awards, including best poetry book debut in Poland. In Canada, I  published the literary and arts magazine “Oceanic Letter” for almost ten years. Now I am publisher and editor-in-chief of the online magazine Polska Canada. I interviewed Nobel Prize winner Joseph Brodsky, Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich and many others. My journalism is devoted to subjects silenced in the mainstream media. I have written articles on Freedom Convoy for readers in Poland, and I am publishing summaries of uncovered news which matters to our freedoms and fight against a liberal, globalist agenda and political correctness narrative. In 2018 together with Canadians Captains Barry and Matt Sheehy and Paul Sheehy I went to Poland, invited by Polish Government officials, to honour Polish and Canadian soldiers, who fought in WWII. I have made a video, documenting the trip.


Right now I am in Poland for personal reasons, but also to cover the dangerous pro-war propaganda and Poland’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. I would love to contribute to Canadian independent media coverage of the complex situation in Europe, and share my experiences with my fellow Canadians. I am thinking of short video presentations and brief articles, written from the point of view of a Polish Canadian, who has roots in European culture.