Intro:

For those unfamiliar with the cheribun, it’s a rare hybrid form of literature combining one or more cherita (six-line micro-poems with three stanzas) with one or more prose paragraphs, which may be prose poems and/or forms of lyrical nonfiction that may also include elements of storytelling.

The cherita was invented in 1997 by ai li, a Malay poet and the editor of the monthly print anthology the cherita. Although she also coined the term cheribun, ai li doesn’t publish the form. But I’m glad to do so in her stead!

A growing captivation:

My fascination with this remarkable hybrid began nearly four years ago. I’m forever grateful to poet Margaret Dornaus for sending me “The Writer’s Cabin” in November 2021, which became the first cheribun I published in MacQueen’s Quinterly (Issue 11, January 2022)—and apparently the first to appear anywhere online. (For details, see MacQ’s First Cheribun!)

“The Writer’s Cabin” inspired me to post impromptu calls on Facebook for additional cheribun for Issue 11. Within a week, I received 15 pieces and happily selected seven to accompany Margaret’s pioneering poem.

This response from poets led me to create MacQ’s first Cheribun Challenge for the following issue. And Margaret graciously agreed to serve as Guest Judge. Submissions were open for two weeks in February 2022, and we received 70 pieces, representing 38 entries. Results included three winners and three finalists, published in Issue 12 of MacQueen’s Quinterly (March 2022).

Cheribun Central:

During the next two years, only eight new cheribun appeared in MacQ, sprinkled across four issues, 13 through 16 (with zero in the seven issues 17 through 23). Even so, the journal contained 22 cheribun when Contributing Editor Gary S. Rosin crowned MacQ with the title he coined in June 2024: Cheribun Central.

(Two of those cheribun were Gary’s: “Birthdays of the Dead” and “Designated Driver”.)

Which in turn inspired the next happy event! Submissions for MacQ’s Cheribun Challenge #2 were open for seven days in July 2024, and MacQ received 48 cheribun, representing 30 entries. To my astonishment and delight, folks submitted such wonderful pieces that I selected 14 cheribun to publish in Issue 24 last year and 16 in Issue 25. (For details, see Results.)

Beyond the second Challenge, five additional cheribun appeared in MacQ across three issues (25 through 27), including another by Gary S. Rosin: “Keepers of the Flame”. This brought the number published in the journal to 57 total.

Third Challenge:

In late June 2025, submissions for cheribun were open for seven days, and MacQ received 43 pieces, representing 20 entries. I accepted 23 cheribun, i.e., 53% of the total number of pieces submitted. (Among those were a few free-verse poems that didn’t qualify.)

When considering the entries, I looked for polished writing, for cheribun that resonate emotionally, and for those that help illustrate the possibilities of the form.

For instance, the 85-word cheribun “Crossing Paths” by Colleen M. Farrelly, whose unusual verse section is a three-in-one poem which invites reading in multiple directions.

Another example: “The Landscape Whispers” by Hazel Hall, who often pushes the envelope with her poems. This cheribun is structured as lineated free verse culminating with cherita terbalik—the latter having a six-line structure of 2-1-3, a variation of the standard 1-2-3 for cherita. Plus, an extra treat for me: she included two excellent Q words in this anomalous cheribun. ♥♥ Many thanks, Hazel!

And there’s the braided cheribun story, “Voices from Each Side of a Triangle” by Scott Wiggerman, who interweaves each stanza of his cherita between prose sections.

The longest cheribun: “Adventures in Experiential Limnology” by Oz Hardwick, with 980 words including the title and one Q word. Such marvelous imagery here, writing so gorgeous it brings tears to my eyes.

And the shortest: “Familial” by James Penha, with 77 words including the title and one Q word. A tip-of-the-iceberg cheribun, with teeth.

Speaking of family, “The Mom and Dad Show: Episode 21,900” by Cynthia Anderson is a searing snapshot of a 60-year relationship, closing with an unforgettable metaphor.

Finale:

My heartfelt thanks to everyone who entered this challenge! I especially appreciate your support of my journal and your desire to help nurture a rare form of literature. ♥♥ For those writing cheribun for the first time, I admire your willingness to experiment. I’m also touched and delighted that poets responded with such compelling work.

Deep bows of gratitude to Gary S. Rosin for his contributions of cheribun to MacQueen’s Quinterly (not to mention dozens of wonderful ekphrastic poems); for his coinage of “Cheribun Central”; and for his time and efforts in spreading the word about this unique form.

And now—drum roll, please!—I’m honored and happy to present these heavenly hybrids for your enjoyment:

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Winners:

1. First Place ($100 USD):
   Adventures in Experiential Limnology by Oz Hardwick
   
   
2. Second Place ($75 USD):
   The Landscape Whispers by Hazel Hall
   
   
3. Third Place ($50 USD):
   The Mom and Dad Show: Episode 21,900 by Cynthia Anderson
   
   

Short-Listed Finalists (unranked):

• New Anthem by Lana Hechtman Ayers
  
  
• Chocolate Orange by Tina Barry
  
  
• The Shade of the Coolabah Tree by Peggy Bilbro
  
  
• Social Insecurity by Margaret Dornaus
  
  
• Crossing Paths by Colleen M. Farrelly
  
  
• Orange Blossom by Jane Frank
  
  
• Familial by James Penha
  
  
• Ways to Occupy Your Mind While Your Slender Friend Complains About Her Weight by Tracy Royce
  
  
• Slip Sliding Away by Adelaide B. Shaw
  
  
• Voices From Each Side of a Triangle by Scott Wiggerman
  
  

Long-Listed Finalists (unranked):

The following 10 cheribun will appear in MacQ-30 in mid-September 2025:

• “Charon Strikes Back” by Cynthia Anderson
  
  
• “The Shadow” by Cynthia Anderson
  
  
• “Memory Box” by Colleen M. Farrelly
  
  
• “Ramanujan’s House” by Colleen M. Farrelly
  
  
• “Workshop” by Jane Frank
  
  
• “Her Morning Walk” by Hazel Hall
  
  
• “Open and Shut” by Tracy Royce
  
  
• “Tandem Turd Team” by Tracy Royce
  
  
• “Too Soon” by Adelaide B. Shaw
  
  
• “When I Knew: Second Grade” by Scott Wiggerman
  
  

For contest guidelines, see MacQ’s Cheribun Challenge #3.