Hawk Poem by Susan Marie Watkins

I’m light and free as a hollow-boned hawk
Gliding on the thermals
Above the vast, gray-brown prairie.
I’m a sharp-eyed bird of prey,
Soaring unencumbered through the crystalline air.
I flex my sharp talons & open my hooked beak,
Screeching with pure invigoration
As I swoop towards the earth,
Alighting gracefully on a worn, crooked fencepost.

Alone, I sit and soak in the silence of this infinite, barren place
Where time is measured by the beat of angel wings.
The sun warms my sleek feathers,
But doesn’t reach my skin
As I patiently watch.
I’m on a quest for something.
Something I’ve been faithfully awaiting
Since before I was born.
If I’m quiet and alert, I know I will find it someday.

But now I must hunt.
Spreading my wings,
I jump into the air,
Ascending effortlessly.
Turning slow, thoughtful circles,
My eyes scan the ground for signs of movement.
A furtive flash.
I pin my wings to my sides and plunge to the earth,
The wind screaming in my ears.
My talons flash orange as I grab my prey and rise upwards,
Looking for a place to eat.
Dropping onto a warm, flat rock,
I tear bits of flesh from my catch.
Bolting them down,
I continue my watching,
Flinging quick, sharp looks in all directions.

I must be ready when it comes.