Close Encounter
As I paddle down the narrow river, the banks nearly hugging me, I spy a large bird on a tree branch over the water. Its markings indistinct at this distance, I wonder if it could be a juvenile Bald Eagle. Drifting downstream, I decide it is an eagle when it drops from the branch into the water, just a hundred feet ahead of me.
Landing in shallow water, it thrashes and hops to the shore, a fifteen-inch fish firmly in its grasp. It finally drops the fish and settles upon the it as I drift closer, just fifteen feet from shore. Debating between feasting on its catch and seeking safer haven, the eagle flies to a low branch of the next tree downstream. Spreading its wings and shaking the water off of its feathers, it settles in to watch me drift by, just twenty feet directly directly below, the perfect conclusion to this close encounter.
sycamore
on a riverbank
summer breeze
This haibun is my response to Haibun Monday 2-1-21: Eagle, the prompt form Frank Tassone at dVerse ~ Poets Pub, which is to write a haibun that references to the Eagle. I first recounted this incident with my poem Rapt, in September 2016.
rivrvlogr 
Clearly told, almost cinematic, Ken. Thanks for the warm-up.
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And thank you, Ron.
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A great story Ken! I am sure you were thrilled to see one so close by. What a gift! Did it leave the fish laying on the bank?
Great Haibun!
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Thanks, Dwight.
I don’t know if it did. I would have had to turn back to see, but I figured I’d just leave it with it’s trophy.
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This is great, Ken. It sounds like a real experience.
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It was both extraordinary and satisfying. Thank you, Robbie.
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Great story Ken, thank you for sharing it.
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Thanks, Rob. I’m sure you would have gotten a thrill out of experiencing it.
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I’m envious of your awesome close encounter, Ken. I enjoyed the detailed description in your haibun and the haiku to complement it.
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Thank you, Kim. It was a memorable moment.
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Holy shamoley! I’m jealous!
How amazing that you got to see that, Ken 🙂
-David
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Thanks, David. I’ll admit that it raised my expectations for future kayak trips, but any eagle sighting is most welcome.
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That’s one to remember!
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For sure!
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What a wonderful experience, Ken, and so well-told! I can imagine you paddling and watching on a beautiful summer day.
I had a close encounter with a bald eagle last September.
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Even at a distance, it’s a thrilling experience.
Thank you, Merril.
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I love your river poems. (K)
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🙂 Thank you.
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What a glorious encounter.
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Indeed!
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I loved your recount of the encounter. It will be a treasured memory, I’m sure. Such moments are special.
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That they are. Thank you, Beverly.
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This must have been an unforgettable experience, seeing such a magnificent bird so close by.
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Watching that bird hop out of the water while clinging to the fish was almost comical, but in no way undignified. His pose above the fish onshore was absolutely regal.
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Now, that sounds like quite the adventure! I often think we have these encounters for a reason. I would wager he went back to eat the fish.
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I think you’re right. 🙂
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I’ve seen adult eagles far away. Never one close. What an experience. I agree with Kerfe, I love your water poems.
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😀 Thank you!
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An amazing encounter, Ken! They are magnificent birds!
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They’re beautiful. Thank you, Eugenia.
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fantastic ~
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