THE EAGLE, THE CAT, AND THE PILGRIM
I take a moment to rest my eyes and reflect,
My mind clears from the book and begins to
Take in the what lies beyond the window pane,
Out there far above the earth,
Circling in the sky an eagle flies down wind,
The day is like the last few,
Whipping the sky, the trees, the birds ‘round and
‘Round making everything alive, awake, and alert against
Their will.
The activity of things unseen and seen hold my attention,
The eagle wheels at high speed in a huge circle,
It holds a position with wings spread level to the ground,
Motionless, holding still as the wind gusts and twists the air
Around and around but the eagle, holds fast, motionless holding
It’s position above the earth, steady, refusing to budge another inch
According to my stadimeter eyeball measuring the bird in relation to
The sky around it and the indexed water spots and ladybug shit on the surface
Of the window, unwashed in thirty-four years.
Later, when I am returned to opening Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,
Joyful to read again the opening paragraph that first
Captured my attention so long ago,
The cat jumping through a window to awaken a sleeping pilgrim,
Leaving the odor of blood and urine and foot prints resembling roses
On her skin,
What an introduction! What deep pleasure to find someone
Who pays attention, notices, records moments, instances,
Snap-shots of life which matter most. I become.
G. M. Goodwin
January 26, 2021
Playing Fair and Being Kind 