“The Mind is a Hawk,” by Walter McDonald, from Night Landing © Harper and Row.
The Mind is a Hawk
The mind is like a hawk, trying to survive
on hardscrabble. Hunting, you wheel
sometimes for hours on thermals
rising from sand so dry
no trees
grow native. Some days, you circle
only bones and snakeskin, the same old
cactus and mesquite. The secret
is not to give up on shadows, but glide
until nothing expects it, staring
to make a desert give up dead-still
ideas like rabbits with round eyes
and rapidly beating hearts.
Care to read a few more samples of this poet’s brilliant work? Find more poets for everyone at Becky’s Book Reviews today. Happy Poetry Friday.
I was all prepared not to like it- never having really been into declarative analogies (Life is like a kite, The woman was an electric blanket, etc). But lo and behold, I did like this one. I think the unexpected tone won me over.
My heart is rapidly beating…
This is more than a bit scary…but then, so is writing. I like the part: “The secret is not to give up on shadows…”
Thanks. Love it!
Thanks–this is a new poet for me.
love this