The Day Sanba-san Leaves

When I wake up in the morning, I always hear the cawing of crows.
Crows have lived in the thicket near my house for a long time.
The crows were cawing when my grandfather passed away, too.

Since my mother passed away, I have been lonely, and the voices of the crows soothe me.

When morning comes, I am awakened by the voices of the crows.

When I started participating in the 'Oha-tsubu Race' morning tweet challenge, I began writing about the crows from time to time.

Wild birds also come to this house.
I watched a shrike with my mother.

I understand well the feelings of a friend who lost both her parents one after another, and I think the same things.
She and I are both all alone.

At such times, the chirping of birds heals my heart.

When I wrote in the Oha-tsubu Race about how the crows caw and wake me up,
Sanba-san started leaving comments every day before I knew it.

Yes, Sanba-san's name is 'Sanba Karasu' (Three-Feather Crow).
I am sure she felt a sense of kinship because I kept saying 'crow, crow'.

She was a person overflowing with kindness, and she had many sisters who were not related by blood within no+e.
She was someone beloved by everyone.

If a sister was crying, she would draw close and cry with her.

She would organize projects for Dodoitsu or Hyakunin Isshu, and she said we should all participate in the Literary Flea Market next year.

That such a person would quit no+e... it was a bolt from the blue.

Even so, at one point, she let out some weak words in the comment section of my tweets.

I also came to understand that she seemed to have some trouble with her legs.

Even though our connection was only through SNS, she felt very close.
It was strange, but I felt the happiness of having her always by my side.
It was the first time I had experienced such a feeling.

There are kind and warm people in the real world, too, people who embrace me, but

The day after I was wrapped in that strange sensation, I was suddenly told goodbye by the person named 'Sanba Karasu'.

She emphasized, 'From now on, please live firmly by your own will.'

I suppose this person is also a charmer.

Is that so? Was that strange sensation a premonition of a goodbye?

I will just accept it calmly.

Many words line up in the comment section of everyone's final post.
"Don't quit," "Please come back someday"...

I have already said my goodbyes to Sanba-san.

That is why I will not say anything.
I will just silently walk away from there.

Sanba-san, you did your best despite not feeling well.
Please take it easy from now on.
I offer this prayer in my heart.

Spring is the time for graduation.