Frank J. Tassone

Our Life on Mars You would have turned 86 years old today, Mom. Probably would have celebrated with another covert Marlboro on the bench outside your door. Or sipped another red wine while seated at your monstrosity of a wall-unit desk, doing your "stuff." A lifetime away from the day I emptied the old house of all of your empty bottles of absolute—during that time you gave up drinking.

I'm hosting Haibun Monday over at dVerse Poets Pub. We offer tribute to Tracy K. Smith's Pulitzer Prize winning book, "Life on Mars."

The Pub is open! Come join us!

February ’26 week 1 (2/1 – 2/7) 2/1/26: blossom Sub-zero the faded memory of blossoms #haiku #micropoetry #poetry 2/2/26: evergreen snow-pocalypse the neighbor’s door wreath still evergreen #haiku #micropoetry #poetry 2/3/26: willow winter day perching on a willow a cardinal #haiku #micropoetry #poetry 2/4/26: petal cold spell a petal falls to the floor #haiku #micropoetry #poetry 2/5/26: root pouring carrots into the beef stew still cold #haiku #micropoetry #poetry…

February ’26 week 1 (2/1 – 2/7)

2/1/26: blossom Sub-zero the faded memory of blossoms #haiku #micropoetry #poetry 2/2/26: evergreen snow-pocalypse the neighbor’s door wreath still evergreen #haiku #micropoetry #poetry 2/3/26: willow winter day perching on a willow a cardinal #haiku #micropoetry…

“No thought…” a #haiku (2/23/26) “no thought is worth thinking…” Winter chimes #haiku #micropoetry #poetry

“No thought…” a #haiku (2/23/26)

Winter Un-wonderland Hours of snowfall blanket Stamford, Connecticut. Inches accumulate, from dusting to knee-deep, enveloping sidewalks and streets everywhere in sight. Partway through the barrage, snow plows attempt to mitigate the encroachment. I scarcely notice. We awoke to a frozen cold-water pipe underneath my kitchen. Hours of heating the pipe with both a hair dryer and a borrowed heating fan finally result in running water—after 14 hours!

Winter Un-wonderland

Hours of snowfall blanket Stamford, Connecticut. Inches accumulate, from dusting to knee-deep, enveloping sidewalks and streets everywhere in sight. Partway through the barrage, snow plows attempt to mitigate the encroachment. I scarcely notice. We awoke to a frozen cold-water…

#SilentSunday (1/11/26)

A rest from #haiku See you tomorrow!

#Haiku (1/10/26) 1/10/26: breath vapor breath vapor freezing on the window… finger painting #haiku #micropoetry #poetry

#Haiku (1/10/26)

1/10/26: breath vapor breath vapor freezing on the window… finger painting #haiku #micropoetry #poetry

#Haiku Happenings #3: “Haiku of the Day” by Neena Singh

HH #3: Neena Singh's latest #haiku appears in THF's Haiku of the Day!

#Haiku Happenings #2: “realm of mankind…” by elancharan gunasekaran

HH #2: elancharan gunasekaran's #AmericanSentence!

#Haiku Happenings #1 (1/10/26): “Daily Haiku Special, Jan. 10, 2026…” by Charlotte Digregorio

HH #1 (1/10/26): Charlotte Digregorio's Daily Haiku Special features Marion Clarke!

“Birds aren’t Real!” All together Blackbirds singing compline destitute of the hope everwhere squandered flying at first light geese arrowing toward home inured to the javelins hurled their way killed by shots, or arrows loosed by thoses masses intent on them no rest for other avians, like the perigine, or prey like quail, hiding from the raucous dispoilers shattering the silence tearing apart their…

“Birds aren’t Real!”

All together Blackbirds singing compline destitute of the hope everwhere squandered flying at first light geese arrowing toward home inured to the javelins hurled their way killed by shots, or arrows loosed by thoses masses intent on them no rest for other avians, like the…

#Haiku Happenings #3: “Three poems” presented by The Other Bunny

HH #3: The Other Bunny presents a #monoku #sequence by Lisa Espenmiller!

#Haiku Happenings #2: “Una selezione di haiku di Autori vari” presented by Eufemia Griffo

HH #2: Eufemia Griffo of "Memoirs of a Geisha" presents haiku by a variety of poets!

#Haiku Happenings #1 (1/8/26): “Today’s Haiku (January 8, 2026)” by Fay Aoyagi

HH #1 (1/8/26): Fay Aoyagi's Today's Haiku features Tokumasa Kuroiwa!

#Haiku (1/6/26) 1/6/26: first sky staring at her first sky moose calf #haiku #micropoetry #poetry

#Haiku (1/6/26)

1/6/26: first sky staring at her first sky moose calf #haiku #micropoetry #poetry

#Haiku Happenings #3: “long ago” by Ellen Grace Olinger

HH #3: Ellen Grace Olinger's vintage #haiku!

#Haiku Happenings #2: “Today’s Haiku (January 6, 2026)” by Fay Aoyagi

HH #2: Fay Aoyagi's Today's Haiku features Hiroshi Ohmaki!

#Haiku Happenings #1 (1/6/26): “Daily Haiku Special, Jan. 6, 2026: Barrie Levine” by Charlotte Digregorio

HH #1 (1/6/26): Charlotte Digregorio's Daily Haiku Special features Barrie Levine!

A Simple Epiphany Sit in the dark. Just sit. Listen to the pervading silence. Hear the hum of an HVAC system warming your townhouse. But listen to the silence beyond it. Let those thoughts come—as long as you let them go. When the last of them settles down, see the darkened outline of a carpeted floor and the rough contours of the dresser. Feel the subtle vibration in your hara, as chi settles.

My #haibun for #dVersePoetsPub #HaibunMonday. The Pub is open! Come join us!

#Haiku Happenings #3: “two” by Melissa Lemay

HH #3: Melissa Lemay's latest #haiku!

Haiku Happenings #2: “winter dawn…” by elancharan gunasekaran

HH #2: elancharan gunasekaran's latest #monoku!

#Haiku Happenings #1 (1/5/26): “Daily Haiku Special, Jan. 5, 2026: Jim Kacian” by Charlotte Digregorio

HH #1 (1/5/26): Charlotte Digregorio's Daily Haiku Special features Jim Kacian!

#SilentSunday (1/4/25) A rest from #Haiku See you tomorrow!

#SilentSunday (1/4/25)

#Haiku (1/3/26) 1/3/26: first laugh New Year twilight still echoing his first laugh #haiku #micropoetry #poetry

#Haiku (1/3/26)

1/3/26: first laugh New Year twilight still echoing his first laugh #haiku #micropoetry #poetry

#Haiku Happenings #3: “New Year’s Eve” by Sean Wright

HH #3: Sean Wright's latest #haibun!

#Haiku Happenings #2: “tsuri-doro” by Neena Singh

#HH #2: Neena Singh's latest #senryu appears in tsuri-doro!

#Haiku Happenings #1 (1/3/25): “Caravan… a trail of haiku by Melissa Dennison” presented by Mark Gilbert

HH #1 (1/3/25): Mark Gilbert reviews Melissa Dennison's chapbook Caravan!

#Haiku (1/2/26) 1/2/26: first snow all over the front windshield first snow #haiku #micropoetry #poetry

#Haiku (1/2/26)

1/2/26: first snow all over the front windshield first snow #haiku #micropoetry #poetry

#Haiku Happenings #3: “2026 Haiku #1: 1/2/2026” by Colleen Chesebro

HH #3: Colleen Chesebro's latest #haiku!

#Haiku Happenings #2: “January day…” by Ellen Grace Olinger

HH #2: Ellen Grace Olinger's vintage haiku!

#Haiku Happenings #1 (1/2/26): “Today’s Haiku (January 2, 2026)” by Fay Aoyagi

HH#1 (1/2/26): Fay Aoyagi's Today's Haiku features Kyoko Uchimura!