Cherie Hunter Day

A Bell Rings Every Hour

A flock of winter warblers sweeps through the understory—an earnest search through redwood duff. There are provisions for all. For us too, there’s pageantry even at this unscheduled hour. They quickly disperse and several mistake the window glass as a shortcut to the overcast sky. Each thud and redirect leaves a small knot of feathers pinioned on the glass. This happens three times in rapid succession like the Apostle Peter being asked if he knows Christ.

stun and startlement in the anointing first rain

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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 the 2021 Backbone Press Haiku Book Contest, and A Color for Leaving (Snapshot Press, 2017). She lives in northern California among some thirsty redwoods.