Cherie Hunter Day

How to Fold a Bird

The legacy of stories told during the day are collected at dusk for safekeeping. Robins are the last entry. Night knows how to fold a bird starting with its song. The hills soften. Dust returns to dust. Everything is rounded up to the nearest whole number. Night starts its song. During the journey dust softens for safekeeping. The hills wrinkle as the first entry of morning.

the handsewn name tag
for an easy return. . .
daybreak

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About the Author

Cherie Hunter Day has written haibun since 2000. Her haibun “In Rumble Dark” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2019. Recent collections include Miles Deep in a Drum Solo (Backbone Press, 2022), which won a 2022 Touchstone Distinguished Book Award, and A Color for Leaving (Snapshot Press, 2017). She lives in northern California among some thirsty redwoods.

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