Frank J. Tassone

#Throw-down Thursday Redux: a #haibun #poetry from .@ImageCurve for #dVerse’s OLN

Today’s Fire

Another fire engine races up River Road. Lights flash. A siren wails. A horn blasts.

We don’t smell smoke anymore, but a gray haze hangs over the evergreens on the mountains.

A two-lane strip of asphalt separates those mountains from the outer edge of our neighborhood. Cold comfort, as another engine races by.

flames reflected
in a family’s fresh tears
blue jays in flight

 

first published in Image Curve, October 5, 2017

 

Photo by Ciprian Boiciuc on Unsplash

 

for dVerse Poet Pub’s Open Link Night

 

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24 responses to “#Throw-down Thursday Redux: a #haibun #poetry from .@ImageCurve for #dVerse’s OLN”

  1. whippetwisdom Avatar
    whippetwisdom

    A very powerful haibun Frank and the closing haiku is beautiful. I hope you are all OK.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
      Frank J. Tassone

      Thank you, Xenia. The fire happened a few years ago. It burned in the mountains above an apartment complex a fair distance from our home–although it was a dry season in which anything could have happened. Thank you for your concern!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Beverly Crawford Avatar
    Beverly Crawford

    Very timely and descriptive, given all the fires this summer. Well written!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
      Frank J. Tassone

      Thanks, Beverly!

      Like

      Reply
  3. jillys2016 Avatar
    jillys2016

    The word choices, along with the title, make this real and palpable because it is a tragic topic ensconced in ordinary clothing. The final line of the Haiku tells us that nature continues on its way in spite of our plight. Well penned, Frank!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
      Frank J. Tassone

      Thank you, Jilly! Appreciate your kind feedback!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. Glenn Buttkus Avatar
    Glenn Buttkus

    in 1981, while living in Glendale, CA, a wildfire on the Angeles crest came within one block of our apartment;
    two scary nights watching the fires approach, waiting for the fireman’s knock to evacuate. It burned dozens of homes.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
      Frank J. Tassone

      A fierce story. Happy for you that your home was spared. When I was ten, my family and I survived a fire at the Olympic Hotel in the Catskills of New York. The place burnt to the ground.

      Like

      Reply
  5. purplepeninportland Avatar
    purplepeninportland

    Well done, Frank. Finishing haiku is beautiful.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Truedessa Avatar
    Truedessa

    I felt through the turmoil, I was glad the blue jays could take flight and perhaps find a place of refuge.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
      Frank J. Tassone

      I’m glad you enjoyed it, Truedessa.

      Like

      Reply
  7. Björn Rudberg (brudberg) Avatar
    Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

    The wildfire is such a nightmare for all. Love the sparse language the tells even more.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
      Frank J. Tassone

      Thanks, Bjorn!

      Like

      Reply
  8. kim881 Avatar
    kim881

    I like the immediacy of the opening paragraph, Frank, which puts me right in the scene, with sight and sound. No smell is interesting, with the haze over the evergreens on the mountains. What a marvelous haiku!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
      Frank J. Tassone

      Thanks, Kim! We witnessed the fire from our car as we drove by the locale of the blaze. Perhaps that influenced my choice to exclude scent.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  9. Sanaa Rizvi (@rizvi_sanaa) Avatar
    Sanaa Rizvi (@rizvi_sanaa)

    A very timely and powerful write, Frank.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
      Frank J. Tassone

      Thank you, Sanaa.

      Like

      Reply
  10. Jane Dougherty Avatar
    Jane Dougherty

    Wild fire must be terrifying. I think of the forest fires in Portugal this summer that swept over a main highway trapping dozens of motorists who were burnt alive. There’s hope in the haiku though. A lovely ending.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
      Frank J. Tassone

      Thank you, Jane!

      Like

      Reply
      1. Jane Dougherty Avatar
        Jane Dougherty

        🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  11. D-Claire Avatar
    D-Claire

    I’m fascinated by this idea of escaping disaster. How one feels relieved and yet bad/guilty for those who suffered. Such an interesting human paradox

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
      Frank J. Tassone

      Thanks, D-Claire!

      Like

      Reply
  12. Frank Hubeny Avatar
    Frank Hubeny

    I liked the description of the forest fire from the perspective of those living nearby and the flames reflecting in the tears.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. merrildsmith Avatar
    merrildsmith

    Powerful images. I particularly like the haiku with the flames reflected in tears and the birds taking flight.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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Frank J. Tassone's avatar

Frank J. Tassone

Husband, Father, Writer, Teacher. American Haijin. Because Haikai matters!

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