DOWN BY A BABBLING BROOK
Oh what a most powerful God Creator to be able to make the entire universe, the earth, all the animals & fish, the stars, the sun & moon & then mankind. And he did this all in six days and only needed one day to rest. Then he put mankind in charge of his creation. Did he make a mistake when he did that? Are we really taking care of what he created?
THE STORY OF THE EAGLE
On the second day, to his bewilderment, he was snatched away from the world which he knew in his soul to be his birthright, and was cast into captivity. Still, he lifted his wings often, in pure determination.
One clear and blustery day, the wind spoke to him through a single tiny window nestled near the top of the prison walls. 'We are one,' it whispered softly in the eagle's ear. 'We will fly.'
He rose then, gracefully, to the highest point of the prison. At its uppermost peak, the voices of his captors drifted up, echoing off of the cold, confining walls. 'You cannot fly,' they called to him. Still, he flew and he flew until the voices below embedded their poisonous arrows into his heart and pulled him downward. In slow descent and weakening resolve he landed, dejected, onto the ground beneath him.
'We must clip his wings,' one captor whispered.
'No,' sneered another, 'there is no need. He will not try again.'
Time labored on as The Eagle accepted his fate, draining his hopes of a life without limits. Less frequently did he gaze upward through the window to glimpse the blue sky of freedom. No longer could he hear the wind's enticing call to flight.
The other birds around him, in secret envy of his grace and beauty and strength, swarmed around him, seeking protection from the predators among them. Honor-bound by nature, The Eagle drew them under his wings and, with longsuffering, endured the pecking away of the birds of prey.
At the passing of each crisis, those whom he had protected would flap their wings, fluttering in his face and shrieking at him before resuming their mindless prison games.
One dark and stormy day, he glanced without hope once again toward the window. The wind howled ferociously as the other captives cried in panicked frenzy. Alone in a distant corner, The Eagle became still as he heard once more, above the clamour, a whisper in the wind.
'We are one. We will fly,' it said.
A dim spark of light flickered briefly before his eyes, and suddenly, with a flash of lightning and a thunderous roar, every light in the prison was extinguished. As his fellow captives shouted and ran desperately, fruitlessly in circles, a powerful wind swept through the prison entrance, rustling through his feathers and stirring his heart.
As the fear instilled in him for so long began to vanish, he looked intently around him. In another illuminating flash of light, he saw that the prison door had been flung wide open. And he watched those around him with the revelation that they could not see it for their crippling fear.
The hope and courage with which he had been born returned as he strode purposefully to the opening, uncertain of what may await him on the outside. Warnings from behind and from within assaulted him as the others watched his retreat with amazement. With growing determination, he stepped decisively through the door, leaving the prison and its captives behind.
Pounding rain attacked him from the ominous dark clouds which concealed the sky above. Thunder shouted angrily in an attempt to stifle the voice of the wind. But now attuned to its voice, he heard its message beckoning to him.
'One more time,' it pleaded. 'Spread your royal wings.'
As the storm raged even louder and more threateningly around him, The Eagle faltered, remembering his long forgotten flight of years past. The voice of the wind then bellowed.
'Above and beyond the storm, we will fly. Only then shall freedom be yours to possess.'
Disrobing himself of fear and confinement, The Eagle courageously embraced unfamiliar hope to his breast. Obeying the persistent voice of the wind, he began to lift his wings from his sides.
When at last he stood, arms extended, he lifted his face to the intimidating sky. With an instinct long buried, he walked slowly forward, moving his wings steadily faster, stronger, in and up and down motion.
Now fiercely committed to his journey, he saw before him a cliff overlooking jagged rocks and turbulent sea far below.
Without hesitation, he increased his speed and leapt into the whirling vastness. The Eagle looked back one last time toward his prison and faltered.
Fear gripped his heart in a ruthless vice. It was all he had known. Would the mysteries that lay ahead cause him to long for the safety of his prison?
Once again, an impassioned whisper, the wind called to The Eagle.
'Up here,' it prodded gently, yet firmly.
The Eagle turned again to face the turbulent sky before him. Although the torrential rains beat against him unmercifully, his strength increased as he propelled himself higher and still higher. With a confidence he had not known he possessed, he braced himself to enter the menacing clouds. Inside the vortex, endless bolts of lightning took aim. Still he pressed upward.
With passion strong, he burst through the hostile clouds. Before him, as far as the eagle's eye could see, lay a shimmering sky of purest blue. Gliding now on a wind all his own, The Eagle stilled his outstretched wings and soared in glorious freedom to a place where splendorous, peaceful light shone above and below. With blossoming confidence, he pumped his wings, climbing toward the utmost peak of the majestic mountains surrounding him.
At last The Eagle reached the top. Perched upon the summit of the tallest mountain like a throne was a large rock. As he sailed toward the rock, he saw another eagle flying toward him in the distance. As the distance between them narrowed, he recognized upon her face the awe and wonder of another no longer enslaved. Playful and carefree, they circled the mountain peak and each other, exchanging warm, curious glances one with another.
Unknowingly performing a dance as old as time, their hearts flowered into full bloom, led by a poignant song audible to their ears alone. As the evening light began to fade, they gazed into each other's eyes. Therein they saw a kindred soul.
In simultaneous, soundless agreement, the two eagles drifted downward to perch upon the rock. Their regal heads held high and proud, their spirits now devoted, they came to rest knowing that, at long last, their hearts were blessedly home, blessedly free.
THE EAGLE
by Emily M. Parris
The eagle is a magnificent bird
Who soars with graceful ease
He's a symbol of our heritage
As he glides upon the breeze
He's a symbol of our freedom
In his soaring boundless flight
A beacon for humanity
And a splendid, noble sight
His huge wingspan maneuvers him
In boundless soaring flight
Oh eagle, in your majesty
May we follow you tonight
May we soar like eagles on the wings
Of dreams composed of light
Oh, eagle, in your splendor
May we follow you tonight.
Eagle of Elders
The Eagle of Elders takes to flight.
Because He is free; He has the right.
High in the mountains this Bird sails,
Overlooking the ancient Indian trails.
Native Americans once thrived on this great land,
It was sacred; not to be owned by man.
His keen eye spots the cherished Tomahawk,
A famed weapon, used when they fought.
He hears the sound of the Musket as it fires,
He forgets the year and man's new hunting desires.
Long ago He was a God to the people of his nation,
Now he is meat to be killed without any
negotiations.
This Eagle of Elders will go down and die in human
hands,
But His soul will live, and his Spirit spread
across the lands!
Arthur Unknown
Spirit Of The Plains
Charlotte Anselmo
His spirit roams the plains
In search of what had been
But I know he'll never find it
It shall never be again.
The buffalo are gone now
And the sacred grounds are bare
The eagle cries a lonely cry
As he circles through the air.
He'll search the plains forever
He's looking for his past
But all that's left is memories
For nothing ever lasts.
SPIRIT FLIGHT
By Anita@2001
Majestic eagle soaring high
Will you teach me how to fly.
Take me high above the earth
And let me dream of my rebirth.
Teach me great eagle and let me see
Your greatness, your honor & your dignity.
Take me to your clouds so high
Release my spirit into the sky.
Spread my wings that I might fly
And let me soar with you on high
O great eagle this I cry.
Leslie M. Willson, Sr.
Down by a babbling brook, I sat.
Watching as it rippled by,
I caught a glimpse of a shadow
of an eagle that soared the sky.
On the edge of the brook, where I was sitting,
Were flowers that nature had sewn.
Their reflection, at the edge of the water,
Was enhanced by the sunbeam that shown.
I was charmed by the beauty around me.
The aura gave my soul a repose.
I was closer to Eden surrounding me,
And the fragrance was perfume to my nose.
There's nothing as beautiful as nature,
When you put her in perspective of view.
For, God is the creator of everything,
And nature is the reflection of His hue.
Flower's bloom most everywhere.
For the earth is God's garden, you know -
And His mystical way of planting,
By the birds and the bees and the wind, that sows.
The sun, clouds, and rain nourish,
And the earth feeds the seed,
So all of God's creation can live in harmony -
Even with the unwanted weed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Christina L. Drake~
There was once an eagle born, innately fierce and proud, designed to sail with confidence upon the highest wind. On the first day, with unwaivering strength, he learned to spread his wings and to hold them there with his face turned toward the sky.
EAGLE SONG
Marty Soaring Eagle
Mother Earth makes the music
The Eagles sings the song,
From the Mountains come the heartbeat
of the Drum, loud and strong.
They sing of waters clear and cool,
Of a Sky filled with the light of the Sun,
Of when the Wolf and Deer roamed free,
and the Hawk and Eagle soared.
They sing of the Peace and Harmony
The Creator intends for all,
They sing of the Laughter of Joy
and the Tears of Sorrow that fall.
They sing to bring us back
from darkness into light,
Where all may find Love and Respect
in the Circle of Life.
"But those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."
Isaiah 40:31
