Stories & poems that inspire
One knee on the grass. One foot on the grass. Frankie’s hands work the eraser over the page. Then he sets the ruler down and draws again. All his complaints about no AC — lost in his concentration. Cars drone by, a breeze stirs maple leaves and an American flag, a passing cotton ball eclipses the midday sun.
his humming
a pause to lie on the grass
and call out, “Hey Dad!”
more by FRANK J. TASSONE
photograph by Juliandra Durkin
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.
