I remember he took my breath away, with his huge talons & his beak. His wings, like a blanket.
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I remember standing next to my dad with my big glove, which covered just about my whole body. I just stared at them both from below.
They spoke a language that I could not hear audible, nor could it be seen with eyes or written by hand.
This language they spoke between only them. Slowly I began to understand to hear but not by ear. I recall tugging on my dads pant, very lightly with my arm extended.
The bird looked at my father and I remember each of them speaking in this unwritten language. My father and the bird often nodded at each other it was a clear a understanding was reached between them.
As this gigantic bird looked down at me I remember greeting him, with that unheard language. |
My father knelled down, we traded smiles and that big bird softly walked off my fathers wrist and onto mine. I remember he was so heavy and I had this skinny little arm. I knew I couldn't hold him any longer, so In "our language" I told the bird I had to sit down. I asked him if this was ok, he softly nodded, so I gently slid down on my rear.
The bird never wavered, he never even flapped a wing. When I got down sitting on my bottom, I remember the bird asking me if he could sit on my leg, "it would be sturdier for me" he said.
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I remember laughing out loud and my father asking what are you two laughing about. Even as a child, I understood how very lucky I was to be in this birds grace.
My father always made sure I understood how special I was. This bird took time from flight to talk to me, to touch me, to hang out with me.
He always taught me that when you look up into the sky and see a bird, that's freedom. When any bird takes time out of the sky for us, that bird deserves the utmost respect. We as humans, should always feel fortunate when they do.
Not fortunate to own a bird, not fortunate to hang out with a bird, but fortunate that the bird took time out of the sky for me, for me, Chasity, the bird came for me.
And in his time he allowed me to speak his un -written and un- heard language.
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He allowed me to feel his weight on my legs, he allowed me to just stare at him, he allowed me to see him. He picked me.
My father shared a bond with this huge bird as I did. |
I remember saying "dad when will he stop coming" and my father said strongly, "honey when he is done here, he will decide when he doesn't want to come".
And as I grew older he still came from the sky, sometimes he just fly by and grab fruit out of my hand without even stopping.
When I was 11 years old the big bird stopped coming.. I recall crying for months and standing on the highest point in my grandparents back yard and calling for him, with my big glove stretched to the sky.
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On one of those occasions as I quietly sat and stared into the sky, I heard him. I could hear that big bird speaking to me, I looked everywhere, but I couldn't see him, but I could hear him. After saying
his goodbye to me on this his last visit, he asked me to never forget that he had chosen me.
I recall looking at my dad and saying "did you hear that". My dad smiled and hugged me tightly and said "he's done what he's come to do, never forget you were chosen by him".
He, that huge bird a Red Tailed Hawk..is, as my father is, and always will be. "My Two Hero's".
Soar!
Chasity (Kris) Carlstrom
Dedicated To My Father Lundy Carlstrom 12-14-1984 & My Best Friend Red Tailed Hawk 10-1978
Flight is a Understanding One Can Only Hope For!
It is my life duty & mission to give back what the years have taken away from those that Soar!
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