Penn Hills resident publishes book of poetry inspired by 15 years of riding bus to work

Michael Frachioni has been riding city buses for years.

Unlike most who use the commute to zone out, listen to music or close their eyes for a moment, Frachioni uses that time to observe his fellow riders to find the subject of his next poem.

A lawyer for PNC Bank by day, poet by night and full-time father, Frachioni, 59, said for a while his only down time was the commute from Penn Hills to his Downtown office.

“About 15 years ago, it just struck me that poetry is a tremendous exercise in becoming a better writer,” he said.

Frachioni joined the Allegheny Valley Poets, a writing group based in Oakmont led by retired literature professor Arthur Erbe. Each month, the group gathers to read each other’s work and offer critiques and advice.

Favoring free verse, Frachioni drew inspiration for his writing style from the likes of Ted Koser and Dana Gioia, two contemporary poets.

With the support of his group members and his family, Frachioni released his first poetry book, “Bus Poems,” in January. The collection includes almost 60 poems ranging throughout the 15 years of his writing. Each is an idea or inspiration Frachioni encountered during his morning commute to work.

One day on the bus, Frachioni struck up a conversation with the woman sitting next to him.

“It was such a charming conversation, and it was so quirky that I started writing about it as we were speaking,” he recalled. “By the time I got to work, I had almost a fully formed poem.”

The poem, titled “Two Ways to Form Habits Effortlessly,” is featured in the collection.

Frachioni draws inspiration from almost anything that catches his eye. The last poem in the book, titled “The Man on the Bus,” came about when Frachioni was looking around during his commute and he realized every person had their focus on their phones except for one man.

“There was one guy who was reading a book, like an actual book, and it was striking,” Franchioni said. “I wrote about it.”

He said practicing poetry in earnest has helped him become a better writer for his job, and it has helped him improve his daily communication skills.

“I think communication skills — verbal and written — are critically important, and I think they’re lacking in so many settings,” he said.

For those attempting to begin a writing career, Franchioni said the best advice is to share your work with others.

“If somebody is going to write, I encourage them to find a group,” he said. “It doesn’t even have to be a formal group. It could just be some friends or a friend to bounce things off of.”

His fellow members of the Allegheny Valley Poets were a big support when Frachioni decided to combine his poems into a collection. He and Erbe put the poems in the order they’re found in the book. He sent the manuscript to a few publishing companies without any luck. During a reading in April 2024, the director of The Poet’s Press, a publishing company, approached Frachioni. Over the course of the summer, the book was created.

Frachioni said he hopes his children, Maggie, 24, Charlie, 21, and Peter, 19, for whom the book is dedicated, are inspired by the publication to create their own art works in the future.

Frachioni is originally from New York. He moved to Pittsburgh in 1990 to attend law school at the University of Pittsburgh. After he and his wife, Christie, were married, they moved to Penn Hills in 1997 and have been there ever since.

His book can be purchased on Amazon.

In honor of April being National History Month, the Allegheny Valley Poets will host the group’s annual reading and open mic from 1 to 3 p.m. April 5 at Oakmont Carnegie Library. The public is invited to attend and participate.