When Did Last I See

when did last I see

a Bald Eagle fly?

not for many years,

on a cold weekend morn-

camera in hand,

cold, dry sandwiches packed in the car-

standing near park benches and rocks

among other onlookers,

waiting to capture

glimpses of Eagles nearby.

but today, no camera was handy-

nor did I first know

that the black outline

flying far in cloudy skies-

was that Majestic Creature,

mostly unseen free,

matched by a sense of wonder

and vigor that exhaustion could not dampen.

if I had blinked,

if I had not looked out the window,

I never would have known

the Bald Eagle had flown.

Written on 2//9/25.