The young boy told his mother his dream,
to have a falcon of his own. But how? They
problem- solved together; can't buy one, hard
to catch one, maybe find a nest and take a chick but
where are the nests? Could he take one? Two days later
a neighbor brought an unfeathered hawk fallen from its nest,
only weeks old, unable to be returned. Despite
the dream, the young boy had no idea how to care
for a raptor. Their kinship with dinosaurs drew him.
A quick trip to google revealed their diet- snakes, lizards,
insects, mammals; things that need to die to be fed
to small carnivores. And the young boy must do the killing.
This is in response to Kerry O'Connor over at Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads who asked us to write something that's prelude to the main event which we don't describe. Her article on the types of preludes (mine is one of intention) is elegant so check it out.
Nice! I love the photo too. We live in falcon country.
ReplyDeleteThis chick is a grey line hawk. I'll keep you posted.
DeleteThis must be an exciting adventure for the child, to learn to care and nurture for the falcon baby ~ That last line is specially interesting, will he do the killing~ An excellent prelude ~
ReplyDeleteyes, the questions and moral dilemmas are surfacing and being discussed and meanwhile, lizards are being fed to the hawk.
DeleteA fine introduction to the major topic, and also a foreshadowing of the erosion of innocence. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteYes, you're right. He wanted this but is now facing the real life questions of caring for a carnivore and killing other life to do so. Lots of soul searching , value discussions, practical discussions, etc. This is happening now.
Deletefalcon chicks just hatched at UMass Amherst, check out the live falcon cam! http://library.umass.edu/falcons
ReplyDeleteThanks for this. They are in Trinidad so I'll pass it on.
DeleteOh, yes, this is much, much more than the prelude to pet-owning. I can admire your prelude poem (very much) while still cringing as I remember the falcon feast held in the trees above our deck...the neighborhood Merlins and their near-grown chick chose our trees for their dining room...and I screamed when I opened the door to find the deck covered in wings, heads, and legs of songbirds consumed overhead.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how long it took them to kill and eat so many songbirds. I hadn't been out that door in some time because the deck was due to be replaced.
K
Yep, those are the conversations since hawk mother isn't available to make the kills and chick needs to eat. Small birds are listed as part of the diet. The young boys environment is rich in lizards and some snakes have wandered by and been utilized so far.
DeleteWhat a perfect way to teach him the ways of the heartless wild world out there. I don't think I could do it, although I love so much to see those magnificent raptors...
ReplyDeleteBe careful what you wish for.
DeleteWhat and adventure and teaching lesson for him.
ReplyDeleteMore to come...
DeleteBe careful what you wish for!
ReplyDeleteCaring for this dependent creature is certainly different than what he thought.
Deleteah now that will be a right of passage for him...how very cool how life provided for him his request...now to see if he can do the work....ah, i would have loved it as a child...
ReplyDeleteTruly, Brian. He manifested it and now is dealing wiht the realities of it. His father didn't want to kill the snake that came to the house so the young boy did because the hawk needed it.
DeleteThis seems to be the beginning of a journey for both boy and bird.
ReplyDeleteIt was actually your prompt that had me see it this way, but I'm sure you're right.
DeleteWow, his experience is reaching so far beyond just watching. It will be fascinating to hear how this goes.
ReplyDeleteI'm eager to hear as well. I'll keep you posted but, yes, it's way beyond watching.
DeleteI wonder how his life will be changed by this?
ReplyDeleteWe had a long Skype chat with them yesterday and the bird is growing fast!!
ReplyDeleteYes, I saw him last night and he looks bigger, and he's stretching his wings and getting feathers. And the young boy killed a snake for his charge but said he felt "funny in his stomach afterwards."
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