Eagle Poem

Dear Friend,

Joy Harjo is a watchful gatekeeper. As a native of the Muscogee Creek Nation and as a poet, she locates herself at the gateway of the Spirit and, in “Eagle Poem”, invites us to join her there. We can hear the great themes of Advent: prayer, memory, and wonder. At the outset of this holy season, I invite you to savor them. 

Gratefully,

Fr. Dan   

Eagle Poem

To pray you open your whole self

To sky, to earth, to sun, to moon

To one whole voice that is you.

And know there is more

That you can’t see, can’t hear;

Can’t know except in moments

Steadily growing, and in languages

That aren’t always sound but other

Circles of motion.

Like eagle that Sunday morning

Over Salt River. Circled in blue sky

In wind, swept our hearts clean

With sacred wings.

We see you, see ourselves and know

That we must take the utmost care

And kindness in all things.

Breathe in, knowing we are made of

All this, and breathe, knowing

We are truly blessed because we

Were born, and die soon within a

True circle of motion,

Like eagle rounding out the morning

Inside us.

We pray that it will be done

In beauty

In beauty.

(from In Mad Love and War, 1990, Wesleyan Univ. Press)