Communicating with Sacred Animals
I Am the Eagle By Leslie Cirinesi (Jan, 2018)
I think we can probably all agree that the Eagle is one of the most majestic creatures on Earth. I find them incredibly beautiful and I cannot think of a better symbol than the Bald Eagle to represent the United States. Did you know that Benjamin Franklin pushed very hard for the Turkey to be the symbol for the nation? He was outvoted, thank goodness. Believe me, I have nothing against the Turkey, but let’s be realistic about this, the Turkey does not have the stature of a Bald Eagle. I have spent time in Alaska gazing at a nest of Bald Eagles as well as many days in Yellowstone where I sat watching the Bald Eagles. They would dive from 100 feet up in the air, down to the lake level, reach in with its talons to catch fish and then have to fly away carrying its own body weight (or more). It’s a humbling experience to be in the presence of such power and beauty. A few years ago, I spent quite a bit of time at the Detroit Zoo talking to the two male Bald Eagles that lived there. Both had been in accidents that rendered
them unable to fly. One of the Eagles named Flash, flew into an electrical line that severed most of his wing off. Every time I sit and look at them, I am amazed at how magnificent they look and what proud creatures they are. Every single time I watch them, I can hear a song playing in my head. It is a song written by John Denver called, “The Eagle and the Hawk”. It is not a long song at all, but a very poignant song about how man and nature sometimes collide, and that the eagle holds hope for our future of mankind.
Star Nations Magazine • January 2021 • 39
