Frank J. Tassone

First Loss: A #ThrowdownThursday #haibun featuring my latest from .@ImageCurve

teddy-bear-1

 

The sky-blue Teddy bear towered over me. Charcoal eyes and nose, friendly smile: my parents nestled me in its arms.

Mom told me how much I loved that Teddy. One day, the window of my room, which looked out on a sewer grate, opened during a storm. Wet leaves, mud and soaked mulch buried my bear.

When I was a toddler, I finger-painted this first loss at a day care center in Tarrytown. The shape of Teddy’s head and ear can just be made out from the chaotic mess of colors that covered the rest of him.

piles of leaves
our son’s own blue teddy
left behind

 

 

Photo by Trym Nilsen

 

first published in Image Curve, August 16, 2018

 

 

for Real Toads’ Micro Poetry ~ A Poem Lovely As (imagined by Kerry O’Connor)

 

 

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Comments

32 responses to “First Loss: A #ThrowdownThursday #haibun featuring my latest from .@ImageCurve”

  1. sanaarizvi Avatar
    sanaarizvi

    This really tugs deeply at my heart, Frank! Beautiful and poignant both at the same time 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Thank you, Sanaa! 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  2. annell4 Avatar
    annell4

    Poor Teddy!

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Yes. A sad day. Thank you! 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  3. Kerry Avatar
    Kerry

    Always a sad day when a beloved toy loses its identity in a child’s mind.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Sherry Blue Sky Avatar
    Sherry Blue Sky

    I resonate with the theme of loss….your first teddy, and then the poignancy of your son’s own teddy left behind. Beautiful.

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Thank you, Sherry! I appreciate that.

      Like

      Reply
  5. kanzensakura Avatar
    kanzensakura

    Very sad haibun but can’t see how it fits the prompt.

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Neither can I. Missed the phrase before I posted. As I explained in my comment. 😉

      Like

      Reply
      1. kanzensakura Avatar
        kanzensakura

        Personally I would have withdrawn the poem and written one that fulfilled the prompt. That is just me though. I know these people work hard on their prompts and to ignore the prompt….like I said, I would have withdrawn my prompt. for myself if someone doesn’t read the prompt before they stick something in there, I would delete it from the reading queue

        Like

      2. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
        Frank J. Tassone

        I appreciate your perspective. As someone that creates prompts weekly for my own challenge, and just created a guest post for dVerse almost two weeks ago, I respect the work that goes into creating prompts.

        Having said that, I am confused as to why you imply that I ignored the prompt. While I missed the phrase “a poem lovely as…,” I did submit a poem of ten lines in the style of my choice. Moreover, when I realized that I had missed the “point of departure,” I commented to that effect. Now, if the prompt creator removed my link because my poem went too far afield, I would understand. As of now, however, that hasn’t happened.

        Perhaps we simply see this situation differently. Fair enough. Let’s agree to disagree.

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      3. kanzensakura Avatar
        kanzensakura

        Like I said if this had been my prompt, I would have deleted your post. So.

        Like

      4. Frank J. Tassone Avatar
        Frank J. Tassone

        So you’ve said. I have nothing further to say, so I’m moving on.

        Like

  6. anmol(alias HA) Avatar
    anmol(alias HA)

    Oh, this is symbolic of the loss of innocence in a way. It tugs at the heartstrings.
    -HA

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Indeed. Thank you1 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  7. MrsBednar Avatar
    MrsBednar

    A poem lovely as? Maybe I missed the prompt somewhere in here – but it is poignant and I enjoyed it.

    Liked by 1 person

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

      You didn’t miss the prompt–I did! 🙂 Thank you! 🙂

      Like

      Reply
  8. coalblack Avatar
    coalblack

    Shame, shame, fellow transgressor. Perhaps we should co-ordinate our legal teams?

    Poor Teddy. My favorite toy as a child was a stuffed Snoopy dog. I carried Snoops around with me until he pretty much disintegrated. I still have what remains of dear Snoop, in a shoe box.

    Liked by 1 person

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

      I’ll take whatever plea-bargain they offer me! 😆

      Yeah, that bear was a real mess. Thanks! 😀

      Like

      Reply
  9. kim881 Avatar
    kim881

    A poem lovely as a bear, that’s what Winnie the Pooh would have written!

    Liked by 2 people

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

      Indeed, Kim! I wish I had appended that to my original! 🙂 Thanks!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  10. Pat: willow88switches Avatar
    Pat: willow88switches

    of loss and mourning, and rites of passage … which don’t often skip generations, especially not when it comes to the beloved friends who are our heartfelt companions …. like our stuffed teddy bears and others ….

    lovely piece here

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Thanks, Pat! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  11. oldegg Avatar
    oldegg

    It is always sad to see loved toys go on the inevitable journey to toy heaven. As children grow out of them for the parents they were that link back to when their sons and daughters were so dependent on them and the loss is very great for them as well.

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Indeed. Thanks for reading! 😀

      Like

      Reply
  12. Rosemary Nissen-Wade Avatar
    Rosemary Nissen-Wade

    What a revealing sentence: ‘Mom told me how much I loved that Teddy.’ No wonder you left it exposed to the rain! But then your sad, throwaway haiku adds a different note again.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Susie Clevenger (@wingsobutterfly) Avatar
    Susie Clevenger (@wingsobutterfly)

    Ah..separation from our childhood roots of comfort is hard for child and parent. Lovely piece

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Thanks, Susie! 😀

      Like

      Reply
  14. purplepeninportland Avatar
    purplepeninportland

    We leave a lot behind in childhood. Wonderful haibun, Frank.

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Indeed, we do, Sara! Thanks! 😀

      Like

      Reply
  15. koolaid Avatar
    koolaid

    I love this so much, from beginning to end.

    Liked by 1 person

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

      Thank you! 😆

      Like

      Reply

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Frank J. Tassone

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

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