Tired and a little stressed, I walked into the office this morning huddled against both the cold and the day ahead. Fortunately, I looked up before heading inside. There, in the perfect blue sky above sparkling, snow-powdered Mount Battie, soared a red-tailed hawk. Broad wings spread wide, red tail shining in the morning light, the hawk cut several broad circles in the air before sailing out of sight behind the mountain. Yesterday's all-day storm would have forced it to lay low; today it was free to fly (and hunt). I realize I'm projecting my own feelings onto the bird, but its flight seemed to contain a certain measure of delight as it lifted in the wind.

My guess would be that this is the same red-tail I've observed along the river this winter, the one that keeps agitating the local crows. Today I embraced the sight of it as that of a familiar friend, my spirits momentarily lifted.

Wind-driven red-tail,
thank you for lifting my mood
on your wide-spread wings.