Ocean City, Maryland Chronicle, Day 2: July 5, 2014

by Frank J. Tassone · 19 July 2018

early rise
first aroma of
fresh-brewed coffee

early beach arrival
digging deep into loose sand
to plant our umbrella
the rattle of the chain
reminds me to mind the wind

searing sun
roar of an incoming surf
so cold to the touch
step by step, his hand in mine
until my face hits the sand

lunch at “home”
toasting with white zinfandel
my crabcakes, their Chinese
lounging on the sofa
like a pride of lions

white foam
my sunglasses bobbing
out to sea

After the beach, the pool!
Frankie, playing Marco-Polo
I, swimming one length
twenty-minute hot tub soak
then Rippon Seafood at home

a short walk
a perfect view at North Park
of the fireworks
American colors and
that 21-gun salute sound

Mezza Luna
just like at home, we watch
“The Big Bang Theory”

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.