Tamer and Hawk

By Thom Gunn

I thought I was so tough,

But gentled at your hands,

Cannot be quick enough

To fly for you and show

That when I go I go

At your commands.

Even in flight above

I am no longer free:

You seeled me with your love,

I am blind to other birds—

The habit of your words

Has hooded me.

As formerly, I wheel

I hover and I twist,

But only want the feel,

In my possessive thought,

Of catcher and of caught

Upon your wrist.

You but half civilize,

Taming me in this way.

Through having only eyes

For you I fear to lose,

I lose to keep, and choose

Tamer as prey.

I had the incredible fortune of crossing paths with a hawk today that called to me just before I crossed a creek it was sitting above. My mind was running laps on something I wanted to resolve and I was out in the woods to quiet myself. Getting quiet is often the key to seeing more clearly and then resolutions appear with less effort. I was looking down and the sounds from the bird above caused me to stop dead in my tracks; the hawk was so loud and close. I couldn’t believe what I was missing lost in my thoughts when I looked up. Wow. Just wow.

Once I looked up and met the eyes of this amazing friend, I was overwhelmed by being so close and the bird not budging. I see hawks frequently here but not this close, not with eye contact, and not with an invitation to visit. I could see the hawk was defining some sort of boundary and stepped back a little. After complimenting the bird on the magnificence of its being and taking some photos, I sat down on a larger rock next to the creek just to marvel at the wonder of nature to be appreciated before me. I continued on with the hawk for some time just sitting together until it caught sight of prey and went through its hunting ritual. Once the hawk was off on its way, I took back to my path with the quiet mind I had been intending to cultivate sooner.

I was so beautifully reminded of the importance to speak up for yourself, hold space with grace, and take your time in stillness so that movement is made with focused intention.