Journey on the Hawk

The hawk carried me back to a former place and time.

At first when I found the flag flying south,

southeast, flexing and snapping, I knew that

the hawk would be like sharp spikes on strained silk.

Now I am drifting back to North Dakota,

drifting back to horizons full of white,

back to cornfields boarded up by blizzards.

Trees and power lines pulled to earth by ice,

narrow roads with zones of snow antenna

high.  I have come to walk in those uncommon

days; I have come to feel the farmhouse souls

assuage me in a parka lined with fur.  

The hawk would pound and pound upon the door

for hours at a time; we could not help

but hear.  I placed my hand against the door,

recoiled from the cold.  He pounded still.

I waded through the thaw of warmer days

and watched the river rising to the levee;

heard the hawk's faint whisper turning into stone.

Now I can hear the flag flexing and snapping,

though today, still, I feel my fingers burn.

Reviews

[Bard Constantine]

This was an amazing write; you can feel time shift on the wings of the metaphorical hawk, the breath that ghosts from the lungs in North Dakota snows, all the magic that springs from your words. Truly excellent.

[bbb]

This is great, I love how this poem tells a very visual story and takes us on a journey. Beautiful writing!

[Marlena]

I liked how mysterious this seems, while at the same time you deliver each line with it's own amount of clarity and imagery. Good work, and I liked the tied in ending, very nice.

[Inci]

beautiful write

[Candylove.]

The imagery in this is incredible! An astounding piece! :)

[KaySea]

very nice

[Atheana Kylee-S. C.]

Wow, this is really epic, and strong.

Awesome poem. :)
Truely amazing.. ^^

[nono]

This was strong! Proud to say! It's a winner! And more people should read it! And I can't wait to see more of your writing! Really! This was beautiful. And for the 4th stanza i started getting emotional! I really did...This was a lovely write one of the best I read in the contest!