Cherie Hunter Day

Finale

While others pick their favorite season, even fine-tune their selections to a single month, I’ve downgraded autumn. October is too clever with its bright severance, an early circus before November’s amnesia. Falling leaves are inadequate as a metaphor for loss—death can’t be the last untethered joyride. There are endless negotiations behind the scenes to loosen connections. There’s no discount for the wiring frayed by grief. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, drop by. I won’t greet you at the gate. Make your way up the smoldering hill and look for an orange door.

goldenrod
each room unlocks
from inside

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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 A House Meant Only for Summer (Red Moon Press, 2023) and Miles Deep in a Drum Solo (Backbone Press, 2022), which won a 2022 Touchstone Distinguished Book Award. She lives in Auburn, New Hampshire.

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