Screaming through the air it came
An eagle seeking for its prey,
Playing out its ancient game
Hoping this would be the day.
For eaglets waiting high above
Where mountains seem to touch the sky
were hoping that a mother’s love
Would find success in earth bone dry.
And creatures looking in alarm,
Exposed when out of hiding came,
Would have an eye for any harm
Descending looking ‘round for game.
The eagle wheeled and turned around
Riding currents in the air,
Those practiced eyes surveying ground
Seeking any game to dare
Must venture out in pastures bare
And find some water quench its thirst,
Those keen to try were now so rare,
This eagle would not be the first
To swoop down sudden from the sky
And take a relative so dear.
But thirst can drive one out to try
And then be taken from the rear.
Nothing dared to show its face
For practiced eyes had watched the sight
Of eagles from their lofty base
And knew they’d lose survivals fight.
The eagle’s eye took in the scene
Of bleaching bones beside the lake.
Before the drought this lake had been
A place of herds for crocs to take.
Lazing by an oozing mud,
The crocs lay in survival mode
Hoping for familiar thud
Of creatures on their thirsty road.
But there in centre of the lake
The eagle saw a movement clear
And hoped that for the eaglet’s sake
Would pluck it from its hidden lair.
With practiced speed, a guided hit,
The prize was plucked with talons thick
And labouring upward soon would sit
Her watching brood devour quick.
“© Copyright Ian Grice,
ianscyberspace 2018 All rights reserved”
The above image is property of clipartbest.co
ianscyberspace 
Very nice poem. I too can not stand the sacrifice of one life to save another. I too, cannot and do not watch those kinds of nature shows. I can hardly wait til heaven when one creature will not need to take the life of the other in order to survive.
Ps. I believe there is one spelling error
– I believe you intend to say
‘”eaglets waiting high above,
Where mountains seem to touch the sky
**were** (not “we’re”)
hoping that a mother’s love
Would find success in earth bone dry.”
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You are absolutely right. I don’t know how I missed that error as I edit over and over again before publishing anything and in spite of that missed that error. Thank you. Yes, looking out over creation we can see just how far down the scale we as humans have come and in the process dragged the earth, vegetable and animal kingdoms down to our level. The next cleansed existence can only be for the better.
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cool
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Very nice poem sweet Ian. Hugs
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Thank you, it was nice of you to stop bye and read my poem.
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I enjoy your poems and stories. I know I miss some and I am very late getting around sometimes but I try not miss any of them.
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Thank you.
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It’s so nice to read one of your poems again, and this is wonderful! I know it’s the circle of life, but I just can’t watch shows where one seeks out his prey and the prey loses the battle. It doesn’t matter what the creature is, it tugs at my heart. 🙂
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I’m totally with you in that thought. I don’t know why humans like to watch wild beasts devouring each other, or for that matter those who delight in producing such events for people to watch on TV. I won’t watch that kind of show.
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The other day while talking to a neighbor, he got real excited for overhead flew a young eagle and settle in a tree near by. Bueatiful bird. Thanks for the poem
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They ate truly majestic birds. Thanks for visiting.
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It’s a survival game and although my heart wretched at the loss of
Life that others might
Live, that’s what life’s all about;
, themsurvival
Of the
Fittest.
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Sad that nature has to feed on itself isn’t it? Thanks for your reflection Barb. 🙂
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Ohh Ian, we haven’t had a poem from you for ages and this is a gem. Hugs Xx
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Yes it has been a while and that’s what popped into my head yesterday. You can see these things happening in the mind as you sit quietly and reflect Jane. Life has it’s time of “rain and drought” too doesn’t it? 🙂
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Yes Ian, there is an ebb and flow to energy all the time. I wonder why we fear space and silence, for it’s gives us time to percolate creativity inside. Hugs Xx
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Lovely depiction of the crests and troughs of life.
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Yes we can learn a lot about human experience by observing nature as there is a parallel there. 🙂
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The daily fight for survival – success and joy, failure and tragedy.
I love this poem; complete with a build up of tension and a rewarding finale.
Well done, indeed 🙂
– Eric
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Thank you so much. Your comments are always so encouraging. 🙂
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