Conflicted Expectations

Contemporary Haibun, Red Leaves
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Contemporary Haibun Poem

 

We cleared gravy-stained plates and tainted wine glasses. The remains of the turkey could feed the five of us for days.

It was the first year we didn’t host. Mom and Dad invited us downstairs instead. We had arranged to eat dinner with them and then travel to my Sister-in-law’s for dessert. She hosted dinner for the rest of my wife’s family in our place.

As we said goodbye, my father’s sadness showed in his resigned eyes. I carried his face with me long after we left.

“Did we leave too early?” I asked. We had already passed the Spring Valley Toll on the Thruway.

She glared at me. Her silence was answer enough.

I felt only my clenched hands on the wheel as a forgotten song played on a forgotten station.

Thanksgiving Day–
A murder of crows
Takes flight

more by FRANK J. TASSONE

Author’s Note: “Conflicted Expectations” was previously published in Contemporary Haibun Online (October 2012, vol 8 no 3) and Contemporary Haibun Volume 14

Photograph by Didriks

 

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Frank J. Tassone

Frank J. Tassone lives in New York City's "back yard" with his wife and son. He fell in love with writing after he wrote his first short story at age 12 and his first poem in high school. He began writing haiku and haibun seriously in the 2000s. His haikai poetry has appeared in Failed Haiku, Cattails, Haibun Today, Contemporary Haibun Online, Contemporary Haibun, The Haiku Foundation and Haiku Society of America member anthologies. He is a contributing poet for the online literary journal Image Curve, and a performance poet with Rockland Poets. When he's not writing, Frank works as a special education high school teacher in the Bronx. When he's not working or writing, he enjoys time with his family, meditation, hiking, practicing tai chi and geeking out to Star Wars, Marvel Cinema and any other Sci-Fi/Fantasy film and TV worth seeing.

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