Roman S. Ponos

Surrendering

I spent a month in Ashgabat, one night,
Falling into a pocket of clouds near sleep,
High in the mountains, in an area where,
Turkmen from another time baked pottery.

This discovery made me famous,
And my future seemed sharper than theirs,
But their memories were as heavy,
As the bags they carried under their eyes.

Unable to infer their romance and seclusion,
From the seams of shaved wooden idols,
I studied while they worshipped from the roofs,
And reasoned with collected mushrooms.

I knew I had been there before,
And resisted so much by returning to the past.

But, it wasn't something I gained with time,
But rather something I knew from the start,
That all that was new with me, I learned there,
And lived through so much.

By returning to the past,
My darkness seemed lighter as well.

A Winter in Demand


Unluckily, the train car does not find itself,
Underneath the roof of the dark railway station.

The dim corridors and dusky compartments
Of this ancient, Noachian vessel
Kept warm by coal and a tipsy attendant,
Give way to the crunch underfoot,
Of an ice encrusted platform.

As I descend the slippery stairs,
The brakemen check the worn wheels
With arrested, metallic clangs.

For protection, a cloud of pigeons reconnoiter
My decision to walk to the center, while
Down the main thoroughfare,
Pedestrians avoid eye contact
And wrestle against the wind,
Carrying satchels more dear than memory.

The cobblestoned center greets me
With freezing vendors hawking imported fruit,
Evaluating inquiries about freshness
With equal parts disdain and ennui, all the while
Scrutinizing competitors and ducking extortionists.

Roman S. Ponos was born in Newark, NJ, to hardworking Ukrainian immigrants. Boisterous, shy. First record: Commodores Live. Began writing poetry at age 12. Went straight edge at 16, never looked back -TTD. Edited high school literary magazine. Played soccer with conviction. Went to university in Washington, DC. Too serious, wore black. Edited university literary journal. Moved to Ukraine, married, moved back to US. Graduate school. Moved around the country, currently lives in Vienna, VA, and works in international development. Two beautiful daughters.