Member-only story
Beyond
A haiku with a quiet reflection
beyond the church bells —
wood thrushes sing
to themselves
—
Beyond the reach of the church bells, another kind of morning unfolds. The bells gather people toward a shared moment, their sound carrying purpose across fields and rooftops.
Farther away, the wood thrushes ask nothing of the world but the freedom to sing. Their music seems complete in itself, offered without audience or expectation, as though each bird is quietly discovering the day anew.
There is no contest between the two voices, only distance enough for each to remain true to its own calling. Somewhere beyond what we are summoned to hear, life continues in its own quiet harmony, content simply to be itself.
First published on NaHaiWriMo.
Curious how these small moments become haiku? I’ve written a short guide called The Three-Minute Haiku System, which shows a simple way to turn an observation into a draft haiku in just a few minutes.
