Whenever things get too much for me to handle, lately it’s the state of our society, I retreat and fall into things that give me respite. Often it’s as simple as looking skyward. Stopped at a traffic light the other day, I glanced up and beheld a hawk circling and catching updrafts. Such a majestic sight, so calm and soothing. As long as I don’t think about what happens eventually, the downward plunge to spear its prey.
And yet, this is all a part of the cycle. We soar, we fall. We achieve, we lose. We are joyous, we are sorrowful. Yes, there are silver linings in dark clouds. But finding them is a journey of survival.
I became aware of hawks when I was in college. One of my professors was a great fan of the poet Robinson Jeffers and waxed eloquently about the poem “Hurt Hawks.” I was still developing a maturity to understand poetry so didn’t really get it when I read it to myself. What struck me was the amount of emotion my professor conveyed when he talked about it.
That caused me to think about the word ‘passion’ and I began to understand what it truly is. And it struck me that passion was far more than lust between lovers. I became aware that there were times when I was outdoors and was overwhelmed by what I was observing. The movement of leaves in the barest whisper of wind, the drum of rain on a roof, the tide coming in with a crash.
I do become lost in moments that I find so remarkable and beautiful, moments that fill me with wonder and awe. I tend to feel things on a grand scale. While I love all kinds of music, at times I need to hear strong music. Don’t confuse strong with loud. They can be mutually exclusive.
As to our societal merry-go-round, I give you a bit of Robinson Jeffers to ponder. “Let boys want pleasure, and men/Struggle for power, and women perhaps for fame,/And the servile to serve a Leader and the dupes/to be duped./Yours is not theirs.” From “Be Angry at the Sun”
I’m not going to discuss what this means, I leave it to your interpretation. The last two lines are what is important to me at this point in time.
A sample of some strong music, sung with passion, is an excerpt from “The Eagle and the Hawk” by John Denver. “And all of those who see me, all who believe in me/Share in the freedom I feel when I fly.”
In these stormy societal times, take some time to fly. I hope it brings some ease to your mind.
Stories Are For Eternity 