Buying His New Bicycle
Haibun
Frankie leaves his bike by the Toys”R”Us customer service desk. Someone already put a sign on it: “bike exchange.”
“Think of all the joy another boy as old as you were will get riding it,” I say.
“Yeah,” he answers.
As we walk toward the bicycle section, I realize that he isn’t crying. This is the first time he’s left something of his behind without doing so.
April sun
a pickup of his long deferred
Christmas gift
He looks at three bikes, sits on two, rides one. It’s a 21-speed Schwinn mountain bike in green and black, with a white front fender. Twenty-four inch wheels and an adjustable seat give him plenty of growing room.
He says he loves it. He even rides it to his friend Olivia’s across the street, after we return home.
As soon as he’s there, however, he parks it.
afternoon shadows
a brand-new mountain bike
forgotten
more by FRANK J. TASSONE
photo by Riccardo Chiarini on Unsplash
Loved it! Wonderful treatment of the inconsistencies of childhood, which I remember all too with myself. A classic case is a haibun going into the next Narrow Road Literary Magazine of Flash Fiction – Poetry – Haibun .
Quietly brilliant haibun, thank you Frank, it really resonates.
warm regards,
Alan
President, United Haiku and Tanka Society
co-founder, Call of the Page
http://www.callofthepage.org
Hi Alan,
Thank you so much for your kind feedback! I appreciate it!