ANDREW SOROKOWSKI

Andrew Sorokowski was born in Connecticut to Ukrainian refugee parents and grew up in San Francisco.  He studied Romance and Slavic languages and literatures and holds a PhD in history. He resides near Washington, DC.  He has published translations of poems by Natalka Bilotserkivets in Subprimal Poetry Arts and Peacock Journal.  Two of his own poems appeared in Image.

CHRISTMAS

Those childhood Christmases weren’t drawn from stencils —

No family prayers or carols (we don’t sing) —

But love in every message scrawled in pencil

On every card and present tied with string.

They have long passed into eternity.

There are no children; only you and me;

No blithe accord of credulous minds and hearts,

Nor hope to be rejoined in heaven’s parts.

I’ll fashion a Nativity within,

An ardent creche against the dark and cold

And faithless chasm swallowing kith and kin.

A lonely enterprise for one so old.

If no one seeks it, does the light still shine?

Not fate, but man, insists on being blind.

Read Andrew’s work and more in Solum Journal Volume I.

Watch our video interview with Andrew on Solum Podcast here or listen here.