word of the day: tiercel

word: tiercel

context:

winter sun 

in the eye of her tiercel 

returns to her glove

— Harvey Hess

definition (Merriam-Webster): a male hawk; especially : a male peregrine falcon

This haiku was opaque until I looked up “tiercel.” Suddenly, it was evocative. 

source: Haiku World: an international poetry almanac

edited by William J. Higginson

1996. Kodansha International, New York