Young RedTail Hawk, Jane Kohut-Bartels, watercolor
Ode to a Coopers Hawk
Come to me.
Come to me,
Winged celestial beauty.
Come to me with your notched
Mermaid tail,
Your silken roll of feathers.
Fly down into my hollowed-out soul,
Fill me with your sun-warmed glory
Nestle in my arms
And bring the curve of the horizon
Embraced in your outstretched wings.
I need no white bearded prophet,
No mumbled prayer, no gospel song
No hard church bench, no fast or
Festival to feel close to the Divine.
The glory of the universe,
Is embodied in your flight
As you tumble through heavens,
Ride the invisible thermals
Screech with joy at freedom
Fill your lungs with thin air
And play bumper car with an Eagle.
I, earthbound,
No hollowed bones to launch me,
Just tired soul to weigh down,
No soft plumage to feel the course
Of wind through glossy feathers
No hunting call to herald my presence.
Still my soul takes flight
The breeze lifts my spirit,
My eyes follow you,
And we will find that glory
Transcend a sullen earth,
Transcend a mean humanity
And soar together into the blue eye of God.
Jane Kohut-Bartels
Copyrighted, 2011, 2012
Tags: "Ode to a Coopers Hawk", close to the Divine, devotion, dversepoets.com, Jane Kohut-Bartels, Painting, poetry, the blue eye of God
Lady Nyo's Weblog 
June 16, 2012 at 2:23 am
“You need no white bearded prophet,
mumbled prayer, gospel song
hard church bench, fast or Festival
to feel close to the Divine.”
Jane, you SO RIGHT! I’m thinking right now,
that all you really need is your computer,
brushes, water colors and your creative soul,
to express, and be expressed.
You do it all well.I believe you must
really enjoy painting, as I KNOW you live to write–grin!
PEACE!
Steve
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June 16, 2012 at 2:29 am
Hi Steve!
But I think we need gratitude….random and pointed gratitude to something….beyond ourselves.
I was a painter for 20 some years before I ever attempted to write. I’ve only just very recently (these last weeks) even considered painting again, and this time it’s with a purpose: some drawings/ink/pastel (that is new) for “The Nightingale’s Song”….think tengus in kimonos. LOL!
The writing, poetry is very new for me, Steve, only about 6 years in. I have so much to learn, and as I do, I realize how much I don’t know.
Thank you, dear friend…for reading this poem, and understanding it, and your lovely comment. Always.
Jane
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June 19, 2012 at 8:20 pm
jane, some really great touches in this…playful at times, like bumper cars with eagles…but also endearing…bring the curve of the horizon, Embraced in your outstretched wings…and the freedom the bird engenders as well…lovely writing ma’am..soaring together in the blue eye of god…love it…
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June 19, 2012 at 9:29 pm
hey Brian…
It was written last year when I was confronted by a rather heavy handed religious person. It was my statement of ‘faith’ and I know not one that everyone embraces.
Thank you for reading and your lovely comment.
Jane
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June 19, 2012 at 10:01 pm
A delightful and gloriously written expression of your faith here Jane – what it is not and what it is. I enjoyed every line.
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June 19, 2012 at 11:39 pm
I remember this one Jane. It’s still beautiful and very vivid work. Glad to have the chance to read it again.
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June 20, 2012 at 12:42 pm
This is really lovely – can very much identify with all but esp:
I, earthbound,
No hollowed bones to launch me,
Just tired soul to weigh down,
No soft plumage to feel the course
Of wind through glossy feathers
No hunting call to herald my presence.
Of course the bones are hollowed, but feel almost like hallowed here. Lovely. k.
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June 20, 2012 at 1:08 pm
Hi K!
Thank you for reading and your lovely comment. I like your ‘hallowed’ better!
Jane
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June 20, 2012 at 1:10 pm
Hi Hedge…..I have nothing really ‘new’ to post. This time is a period of trying to get my head around the the different issues of poetry….form, meter, etc. I’m reading stuff I really don’t understand from academics….LOL! but I think it’s necessary for some reason.
Thank you, Hedge, for reading and your comment. I always appreciate you coming by.
Jane
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June 20, 2012 at 1:11 pm
Thank you! Elizabeth…..I wrote it last year at a time when I was rather pushed…..dealing with some fundamentalists whose attitude that their road was the only road. I had my own road.
Thank you again for reading and your lovely comment.
Jane
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