The Eagle Sage

The Eagle only has this moment

In mind; it is immersed in now

Sometimes I wish I was more like this

Such freedom comes from only worrying

About attending to the body's needs

There would be no concern of the future

Or regret of the past

Only now

 

The Eagle skips the wind before me

Like a rock thrown by a hand will 

Skip on water; if thrown just right

Closer to the water, the Eagles intent shown only

To its shadow

Talons extended, it plucks the writhing fish

Whose mouth is agape in the moment of surprise

The movement of now

 

Well fed, the Eagle takes to the sky

And the warm rising currents of the wind

I wonder what the world would sound like

From way up there; where the clouds tickle the blueness

The Eagles circling, lazy flight is more like a flying meditation

Then I ever realized

No wonder it is the source of powerful Native myth

Teaching of now

 

I suddenly come to the understanding

That I don’t have what it takes to be a good Eagle

I have a fear of heights

And would undoubtedly fall from the nest

I would make a better Crow or Seagull

They fly closer to the ground

And have my love for the seashore

Welcoming my part in now

Reviews

[Ed Hart]

It is our nature to project our minds upon the things of the world, and read there what we think of ourselves. We call the eagle mighty, brave, master of the air, but none of these things are to the credit of the eagle, because those qualities of "eagleness" we so admire are gifts of time, and not accomplishments the eagle made.
For us humans, to acquire one or some of the eagle's nature is a quality of character, of accomplishment--especially as a symbol of strength, or the appearance of "nowness".
To be locked into the now, with no other virtue than to be good at getting your dinner, is a definition for all instinctual life. For a human being--a true sage--to have taken up residence in the "now" is to step outside of time and assume those qualities of character of (yes) fearlessness, but a fearlessness that is clothed in a radiance of love; it is the house of miracles.
This is no place to fear, but the consummation of that great journey that all traditions of mind and heart point to. Like the eagle, it is our nature to test our limits of ascension; the eagle in the agile sky; you and me, in the heart of mind.
To have a healthy fear of heights keeps us from the abyss edge, but does not make us small. To recognize where we are on life's great journey, is only being true to ourselves; and, being true to ourselves is the very virtue that puts air under our wings, and allows us comfortably to fly higher...

[Desert Dreamer]

I greatly admire your comparison of the eagles flight to a flying meditation. There is freedom in getting high enough above the earth that you can't crash into anything...I've been there in dreams...the scary part is soaring upward, it feels as if you may leave the earth completely. Those moments of living in the Now are wondrous.

[Pax Analog]

Refreshing! And I see to from your Tao text on your profile pg., that you tend "lean into the Now" in general. One of my fave books is Eagle or Sun? by Nobel laureate Octavio Paz, who I met. Writes in present tense, as do I. Tao, Zen, fire, your Canadian resident Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now. Expressing that stance -- as it, rather than about it, strikes me as of the essence.

Your poem benefits greatly from your sense of immersion in nature.

I love the part about the lazy circling being a flying meditation. It reminds me of something long ago written about eagles mating, tumbling in the sky. Let's face it -- eagles are always fiercely, exhilaratingly cool! ;-)

I'm tempted to riff on eagles, and titles, 'cause of the classic quality. . .

"Such freedom comes from only worrying/About the bodies needs and wants" -- I would change this from "worrying about" to "attending to" and "body's." The Now-ness isn't worrying at all. Otherwise, the poem has a fine natural flow, no further quibbles.

Noting Ed Hart's comments, an eagle's instincts are more immediate, perhaps more primitive. Even so a shamanic contemplation results in a subtle communion that erases boundaries.

Exhilarating and personally honest rumination on an eagle and self, in the spirit of the Tao.

[Tate Morgan]

I saw two eagles fly over my house last week .They nest but 6 miles away .It was a sight that made me smile

[Antonio Valentino]

We don't have too many eagles in my neck of the woods, but a couple of hours away in the higher elevations they are there throughout. I would like to be a Red Tail Hawk, the lake I go to is stupid with these majestic creatures, and I get to watch them everytime I go fishing or hiking down at the lake by my house. This was so you Tigra, your love with all things innocent and natural. I love throwing some extra bits out by me so i can watch all the gulls come racing over, very cautiously inching their way toward me, vying for the biggest piece of bait or left over sandwich maybe, while the others hover in mid flight overhead floating on the hands of westerly breezes while I freeze their various wing formations and expressions with my camera.

To be an eagle,looking down at his domain, proud and noble, living in their now, as kings of the sky.

Tigra, this one soars!
Antonio

[Patient Poet (Yos)]

You would be a beautiful Eagle, don't ever afraid to fly high , high in the sky to watch everyone from above and notice that even the biggest problems, or fears in our life here, will become so small when you just fligh high enuff :) Yossi

[cartera]

Canada has a Ted Hughes.
ATB
Alex.

[Georgia Gypsy]

Lovely! Simply outstanding! The imagry kept me spell bound! and i had trouble coming back to earth to write this, guess i could be an eagle...maybe in a previous life.?

smiles,
kelli

[Sunflower/Sara Kendrick]

It is an interesting write. Great comparison between yourself and the eagle and other birds..Keep the creative pen flowing. Sunflower

[deeps]

Wow! Tigra this is amazing!
I really throughly enjoyed this read quite well.
Such beautiful write! To open up and just soar.
Wonderfully written!

[Phibby Venable]

I love the courage of this, even admitting to the fear of heights
and the doubts are expressed beautifully..because to fear and
still do something is brave. Wonderful work.