My Red-Tailed Hawk
He was mighty as could be venturing down by the sea,
revered as the king soaring over his golden throne-
He was respected yet felt neglected and could never see,
all the beauty he held and sadly felt so lost and alone.
Self-respect, he had some but always searched for more,
he sought no prey, for he saw himself as the target-
The game that he played, he knew not what for,
and blamed his spiritless life being bought on the black market.
The depth in his hazel eyes showed remorse for his poor behavior,
his long beak, razor sharp to slice his heart from sorrow-
For so long he took flight searching for a savior,
but never saw the beauty of flying away to escape tomorrow.
A honey-hued tail with feathers to be respected,
should hold passion for freedom, yet held chains of regret-
He felt he could never live up to the standards expected,
see, when your different you have tendencies to forget.
Aviation should be sought and trajectory should be taught,
for the mounts beauty needed him to soar nearby-
He felt he was nothing but an apathetic Red-Tailed Hawk,
even though he was created to freely fly high.
One day his talons were hanging off the edge of a cliff,
he knew how low he had become and filled with self-pity-
But all he deserved and craved was a windy lift,
but ended up plummeting into the depths of the sea.
His wings could not move and his claws could not grasp,
for no longer could the remorse fill his soul with fire-
His final descending flight had been flown at last,
plunging downward into nothingness was his last desire.
There’s no evasion or escaping when your beak can’t talk,
even when you’re a lonely majestic Red-Tailed Hawk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This poem is about my sister who took her life 12-31-10. Her favorite animal was the Red-Tailed Hawk. She was always so beautiful, mighty and well respected. She had so much to live for yet found herself worthless. She thought of herself as the "prey", as opposed to searching for things in life she deserved and needed to survive. She craved deep love yet found deep sadness. I always looked up to her and saw her as this mighty woman carrying the strength of a hawk and she saw herself as a tiny bird cold and alone in the wilderness during the cold depths of winter. It was the hardest thing I've ever had to live through. Even though it's been six years, her death haunts me daily and she is one of my greatest inspirations for my poems. If only I could have filled her with more love and compassion maybe she wouldn't have fallen off that cliff like the Red-Tailed Hawk. Her beauty was evident to everyone around her, yet she felt she was not worthy because she was a lesbian. Her life was so hard because of that and to me that is very sad. I feel that you should be able to love who you want to no matter the race, sex or beliefs. Unfortunately, many people do not agree with me. Her life was a constant struggle and in the end she just couldn't take the pain and ridicule anymore.
I love my sister more than I can even comprehend. She was my best friend was my rock during the hardest of days. I know where she is now...she is happy and free. She is soaring high with all the hawks spreading her wings as far as they can spread.
Blessed be to all the people who struggle with depression and mental disorders. Life is short and there is help out there. Believe in yourself and love yourself for who you truly are.
My morale of the story...
Beauty is in all of us. Our majestic souls should take flight to the highest of heavens daily. Freedom to be who you are should be embraced not looked down upon.
A Natural Metaphor Contest
January 19, 2017
Copyright © Lu Loo | Year Posted 2017
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