First Stitches
Haibun I run in the day care center’s playground. Somewhere past the slide, the jungle gym and some swings, I slip and fall. My left hand thumps hard against the ground. I stand up....
Author: Frank J. Tassone
Scattered So Early
A body in full rebellion Stomach cramps nausea vertigo A mind in disarray Swirling thoughts Songs Mania rising, falling Winds in full swirl Chime singing, Newly budding maples swaying A clock that ticks...
Morning Prayer
Haibun Robins, sparrows, and cardinal songs through an open window. Bacon sizzling from the kitchen. The flickering tongue of an indifferent Senhora da Fatima Candle in a drape-rustling breeze. Seated on the zafu, legs...
Morning Whine
Haibun The coffee maker still gurgles after nearly an after hour. A steady electric hum drowns out the chorus of birdsongs, save one. Gray clouds swallow the sky. The rain triggers an ache across...
Lepidopteric* Encounters
Haibun We step through the second door, entering the arbortorium, and feel saturated by semi-tropical heat and humidity! Large palms and other representative flora grow out of the center. The palm branches shelter the...
An Unpleasant Reminder
Haibun I find it just before I leave on some errands. A crumpled memo, with Sean’s R’s mother’s phone number on it, requests a phone conference. It’s at least two weeks old, if not...
Renewed Intimacy
Haibun My fingers, running gently up and down your bare back. Your gentle moan, as I rub away tension in the tightest muscles surrounding your lower lumbar. Our lips meeting in our kiss. Our...
Today’s Fire
Haibun Another fire engine races up River Road. Lights flash. A siren wails. A horn blasts. We don’t smell smoke anymore, but a gray haze hangs over the evergreens on the mountains. A two-lane...
Spring Recess Reverie
Haibun The essays are graded and packed away. Enjoying my newfound freedom, I sit outside. My right arm, shoulder, and pectoral burn in the sun. A Harley sounds. The sugar maple, where I hung...
O Distraction
Frankie left the Teen Titans Wiki open on my Internet Explorer. Of course, I read bios of Robin, Raven, Beast Boy, and Starfire instead of my work. After that, I must see the episode...
Finish It!
Haibun I’m in fourth grade, and I don’t care that Literature is over. It’s a large picture storybook. Medieval, with dragons and castles and knights. I’m almost done, and I’m going to finish it....
