Ironic Contrasts

by Frank J. Tassone · 31 March 2016

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Haibun

The sun teases us all. A shower of fiery light promises warmth before rain-filled cumulus eclipse it. A spatter of cold drizzle falls. Then stops. A breeze reminiscent of the record-setting bygone winter slices through our layers. We shelter in Tommy Hilfiger.

good intentions…
shivering while walking through
Woodbury Commons

I step inside Starbucks. A casual glance to my left: Stephan Pascarella of Columbus looks back. Mutual recognition. Shop talk while we wait on line. Restlessness after we part.

lukewarm sip
Red-apple Court under
a cloud-covered sun

Later, we’re home. Sunlight brightens the tile floor in the kitchen, the translucent drapes in the dining room. Mira and Frankie head back out. I imagine our darkened bedroom. Our comforter pulled back. A shirt, a belt, shoes left on the floor. Occasional creaking the only betrayal of our dance.

So much daylight left…

cold wind
wrestling my demons
alone

more by FRANK J. TASSONE

photograph by Dogancan Ozturan

Image Curve’s Manifesto

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Tags: family friend haibun 87 home new poetry poem 87 shopping

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.