by ANDREW HEDE
She sits alone on a cliff-top
staring at the ships and the surfers,
meandering in her inner world.
An eagle rises slowly on an updraft,
scans her with expressionless eyes
and slips into her consciousness.
Initially, she thinks the bird alone –
abandoned and lonely she projects;
suddenly its partner materialises.
Together they dance on the wind:
at first hovering separately,
then gliding towards each other.
They connect momentarily,
their wings gently brushing
before one drops abruptly away.
The pattern repeats endlessly varying;
she envies their interaction –
devoid of ego, total mutual acceptance.
Suddenly, they catch a fresh thermal
and float upwards, together but apart;
‘soaring towards the light’ she wonders.
Watching with fascination,
she reflects on the dance of difference
once shared with her own eagle lover,
lost in flight.
Moffat Beach, Qld