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--
January 15th, 2026
First Nations Poetry Contest #1 – First Place
by Daniel S. Harrison
There's no such thing as lazy circles in this sky
Don't think Oklahoma’s hawks simply wind-surf or hitch a ride
Their sunsoaked feathers burst with warmth as they rise,
muscles aching, wings beating, eyes scanning, earth shrinking ever behind
Don't swallow Rodgers & Hammerstein's poetic lie!
These ancient aviators do,
they do, I swear
Our hawks do actually fly!
They fly over, they fly up, and ultimately they fly down
They swoop, loop, stalk, and hunt often without a peep or sound
Just ask the prairie dogs and they'll be compelled to expound
on the fowl's talons seeking, craving, diving, gripping, piercing, deathbound
These dogs will bark elaborate tales of King Hawk's crown!
The red soaked secret subdued
beneath the grass
hidden deep, a feathered killing ground!
So dare not utter such a phrase
as lazy circles above the plains
It's a misleading picture made by distant souls
seeking words to fit a musician's melodic mold
Instead, consider the hawks' own plight
Awakened, hungry, now taking a blood-thirst flight
The circles made as these winged ones soar on the horizon
tell stories of a life mired in myriad death
not romantic notions of lazy orange sunset lore
The rest is a convenient Hollywood lie!
These ancient aviators do,
they do, I swear
Our hawks do actually fly!
Note on Community Membership
Daniel S. Harrison: I am a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
About the Poet
Daniel S. Harrison resides in Lynchburg, Virginia, United States.
Read the poet's biography and Wax Poetry and Art publications
on Daniel S. Harrison's Artist Page.
This poem is collected in Poetry World #14, published in the Wax Poetry and Art Library.
Keywords: Oklahoma, hawks, musicals, culture
Previously published in First Nations Poetry Magazine:
Charcoal Breath
by Jayli Wolf
First Nations Poetry Magazine is part of the Wax Poetry and Art Network.
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