Another Emergency Room Check-In

by Frank J. Tassone · 12 January 2017

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Haibun

Mom does not leave the house without looking immaculate. Makeup on, hair brushed and hair sprayed in place, dressed in the most appropriate outfit for the situation. Except today.

She lies on a hospital gurney in Nyack Hospital’s ER. Haggard hair, no makeup. A hospital gown already replaced her sweatsuit.

Her eyes — too dry for tears. Her mouth quivers. Her bruised left arm is a roll of crumpled tissue paper from two weeks of IVs at Helen Hayes Hospital. But now, she’s back in Nyack.

Yes, back. With Double Pneumonia.

pouring rain
darkness and fog together
swallow the river

more by FRANK J. TASSONE

photograph by Eutah Mizushima

The Writers Manifesto

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Tags: family Hospital mother parent sick

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.