Once Seen to Smile

Death is not an ending but a shift. Leaves fall to make way for spring. Some poems hum with the ache of limerence (that intoxicating state of irrational infatuation and longing), while others catch the light of a passing moment. Abstract and grounded, these poems are not answers but invitations. A space for readers to feel, to wander, to find their own meaning in the quiet between the lines.

Dax Hassell is a poet and an emergency medicine physician. Born in Aruba, he later lived in the United States and now resides in the Netherlands. His poetic style is introspective and symbolic, using minimalism to examine profound themes. Some of his poems feature unexpected shifts and surprising elements, while others explore themes through abstract ideas. His earlier works include Head Sketching Discoveries (1997) and Tears in Rain (2024).