Hawking Hands

Human hands and hawks have worked well together Five thousand year record for falconry An eternal bond of flesh and feather Shows us how epic hawk hunting can be As raptors light upon a gloved fist Freed from handler's hoods hawks wing on high See this dim lit tale through thicket and mist Think how hawks think in the chase as they fly These predators soar into human hearts Seek nature's balance between bird and prey Fiercely their talons grasp the killing arts Pouncing and crushing victims every way Returns to the glove are acts to behold By the hands of man see nature unfold 105 words Sonnet 14 lines Colored Pencil illustration by G. Gaul