Beneath a colourful display
of peace and friendship,
athletes in Sochi 2014
competed under the most unusual
conditions.
Surrounded by security personnel,
snipers,
helicopter gunships,
they strive for peak performance
while their email accounts are sniffed,
text messages intercepted,
social media monitored –
so that no terrorists, gays,
or other such extremists
spoil the spirit
of the greatest show
on Earth.
By Shai Ben-Shalom