Moss Whispers

Either this Hawk is being bolder or is injured. Day two at the same late morning time, almost noon, I walked Atticus and Francklin down in the meadow to maintain my sanity and hopefully clear more of this sinus crud from my lymph system. Just in case, I carried Atticus’ ‘listen-to-me leash’. Just to relive the feelings I had yesterday when Hawk met us on the path, we followed the same walk. I was of course, hoping and not hoping to see our awesome guest. There was so much listening that I hadn’t done, just in case this was some providential visit. Yet I worried that if Hawk presented again, that it could mean that it was injured in someway?

As we came close to the same bend in the path, Atticus began his persistent bark of heralding! I had to look harder this time, for though its presence was powerful, it was well camouflaged among the meadow grasses. With raised and spread wings it took a bold stance in the tall grasses. It’s feathers glowed with the midday sun shining upon them. Fortunately, Atticus listened to my calls and I leashed him by my side. Francklin obediently followed.

Again I began to reassure Hawk that we wouldn’t hurt him. That I hoped there was no injury and that I was there to help and to listen and learn. “I want to hear what you are saying to me.” Being a mossy motormouth, it took great discipline just for me to stop talking to it. After some silence, I said we hoped all was okay and not injured, and then we continued our walk down to the creek. I hoped he had a way to get water. I made a plan to come back and check once I took the dogs back up to the house.

Of course after trudging back up the big hill, I was easily wiped out and needing to tend to coughs and care for myself. Later that afternoon, when Alex got home, I mustered enough energy to go down in the meadow one more time to see if the Hawk were still there. Alex and I both looked everywhere in the meadow. We brought a water bowl in case we came upon thirsty hawk. We walked through the tall grasses and the woods near the meadow clearing, under the tall tree with the nest endings and beginnings, but no Bold Beautiful Being this time at around 3:30 pm. Only footprints. No feathers.

Where had Hawk gone in only 3 1/2 hours? Why had the Hawk appeared at our pathway two days in a row, at almost the same time and place? But was nowhere later? My theories:

• hawk is staking territory for building this year’s home • hawk’s time of day for gathering sticks and nest-building materials . • hawk is injured and ‘grounded’ and midday is when it might be warmest in the meadow. •hawk is hunting lunch critters. • hawk has an early hatchling somewhere that is needing protection.

The strongest possibilities to me are the first three. Unless, this particular Hawk at this particular time in my life, on this particular path is purposely pronouncing something profoundly spiritual and important for me. I’m used to being in awe of hawks from here below as I watch them gracefully fly and circle the sky. But that perspective is limited to my awe of hawks, not benefitting from their wide vision and wide perspective. Mossy, if this is ‘it’ or mixed with some of the other ‘its’, what is this Spiritual Being saying to me?

So here flows what I’m hearing from this bold bird’s whispers: • take your stance • listen to your pain in your shoulders, your spine, your neck • your pain is telling you that you need to ready your wings to fly • being ready includes this moment in time when you take your stands and grow roots that will sustain you even in the sky • then you can rise above the details, the stuff in your life that is holding you down • as you heal your own wings and all spine and muscle that hold them, you will fly beyond the small wonders that you love. • your vision will widen to include all you need to see next • from this point you will see all points and your heart will know and show you your focus • as you fly you will also see more intense pain and suffering in the world. • to keep focusing and flying over and through all this will take discipline, for you must keep your own creative core strong. • this is when you will need a strong gathering of support and encouragement, including some that is bold and blunt. • take this support and fly with it, always knowing that you have your nest to catch you and renew you. • for you are always held in the air and on the ground by breath of Life itself! • stay aware and concerned for all of Life and also know that it is Held, as am I, the hawk.

I went back to the meadow on day three at the same time to see if the hawk was present on the ground. I didn’t see it but did see on the periphery as I headed that way, a hawk flying in the sky. Within no time, it crossed the meadow sky until she was flying overhead. It continued circling and reappearing as long as I was on that corner of the meadow. Why, I don’t know for sure. What I DO know is that my inner response hasn’t gone but has grown instead.