“If a man sits long enough, sorrowful and anxious
Bereft of joy, his mind constantly darkening,
Soon it seems to him his troubles are endless,
Then he must consider that the wise Lord
Often moves through the earth
Granting some men honor, glory and fame
But others only hardship and shame.”
Taken from ‘Deor’s Lament’
________________________________________

At days break,
ambling the beach,
a reclusive man stops to
consider a lone Hawk maneuvering
fluidly on quicksilver currents.
.
Hitherto imperturbable,
the red-tail seems euphoric-
even with inclement weather imminent…
Climbing, banking, and diving in deft poetic drift,
it veers suddenly towards where our agonist stands brooding….
.
Alighting a piece of driftwood, the Hawk asks:
“What is it you seek human?”
.
“Satisfaction….” the man murmured back. “And
also assurances that I have not spent my life in vanities…”
.
The mans
life began of
no account to
anyone save him,
a journey that would
impel him past a lifetime
of besetting starts and stops, to that
satisfying attainment he hoped might enrich
the depleted soil of his once vibrant heart…
.
“And how do you seek satisfaction?” The Hawk asked.
.
“In accomplishment and reward,” the man returned hollowly.
.
With a piercing cry, the Hawk ascended and veered east. Minutes later, circling back, it flew low to the man and proclaimed: “There is something you must learn about accomplishment. If you are willing, I will come with you on your journey up the mountain.”
.
Acquiescing,
the man began the climb
in pureness of intent devoted.
Pressing upward, listening intently,
the Red-Tail guiding him,
at first
wooing him,
each day hastening
upon his narrow path,
moving upwards always
past obstacles and pitfalls
as hopeful eyes assimilated all details
and an eager heart sang melodies…
.
But as the man progressed
he became dissatisfied, and
began craving the honors
he thought he deserved,
Recognition
Acceptance
Adulation
Awards
Wealth
a place on societies pyramid,
a comfortable and lasting gratification,
something more than just the daily clambering
in pursuit of an intangible matter just beyond his grasp…
.
After many days, the Hawk flew near him again and asked:
“Are you satisfied?”
.
Bloodied, aching, and visibly resentful, the man cried out crossly: “I have worked diligently, Hawk, but in all honesty, I still feel incomplete; empty even. Still… I have made it this far, despite my foolish mistakes, and quite frankly, I feel I deserve to be rewarded for it.”
.
“I am not convinced that what you want is what you need,” the Hawk returned. “And I can tell you, too, that being only part of the way on your journey, on this rocky precipice seeking rewards, will only exacerbate your discontent. Are you willing to press on to glean a deeper truth?”
.
Grumbling irately, the
man conceded once again,
only now being so bemused with
the superfluous nature of advantages,
he lost sight of the purpose of his journey
until that undeclared morning, when
he at last stood atop the peak
he had so long striven for….

“Are you >at last< satisfied?” the Hawk inquired of the man.
.
“I think I am. I’m not really sure….” He stood quietly for several minutes admiring the view. “Of course it’s breathtaking here, and I am thrilled to have attained this peak, but how can I make others more aware of my hard fought victories so that they may acknowledge and reward me?”
.
Angered with the man’s foolish thinking, the Red-Tail took flight leaving him alone in the place he had strove so laboriously to attain.
.
Unsure now what to do
the man remained abeyant,
waiting for another door to open,
waiting for the Hawk to return with direction,
waiting for a long awaited rain that would
impart vitality to his desiccating garden,
watching the seasons come and go
as migratory creatures journeyed
joyfully, without complaining,
to seasonal habitats
from one season
to the next….
.
And though
these lessons
encouraged him,
he remained heartsick,
each day stirred with sorrows,
full of cares and derisive thoughts,
bereft of joy and purpose, often
he cursed his fortune,
and soon he was
cursing GOD
for being so distant
and so hard to comprehend,
complaining aloud to Him why
He granted some men halo’s and laurels
but others only discredit, adversity, and troubles…..
________________________________________

Years later, after many seasons of
hardship and distress, the man saw plainly the
vain-glories of pursuing satisfaction in a corrupt system.
Despite the gifts given, he clearly understood that
[his] was a subaltern Glory to the Gift-givers,
and that the greatest satisfaction
was bestowed upon
the acquiescent
who pressed forward in all faith believing…
.
During this time the Red-Tail came again to visit him and asked:
“Have you found the satisfaction you once sought?”
.
The man wept bitterly when he saw that the Hawk had returned after so long a time. Thanking him for caring; he stood humbly and confessed:
.
“I have found something that is far more important; I have found Truth. I know now that the greatest gift I have ever been given is my life. And I know too, that the greatest responsibility that I have is what I do with my life for the greater good, and for the benefit of others. My duty is to continue pressing forward through each season I am given, and every difficulty I encounter, and I must do so without complaint or complacency.”
.
“Indeed…. You have grown in Grace,” the Hawk smiled. “Despite those who once turned against you, despite all failed endeavors and relationships, despite the schemers who purposed to discredit you, despite the sins you committed against yourself, and what you became to get even with your enemies, despite every evil bird that deceived you, you must press forward in all faith, speaking out each day those things that beset you, those things that have twisted and discouraged you, to the unseen Eternal Love, and in all humility, imploring Him for forgiveness and wisdom so you – because of your many complexities – can love and help others on their journeys.”
.
The man wept bitterly. “I agree….” he finally confessed.
.
“Are you ready then to continue?” The Hawk asked.
.
“Yes…. I am ready,” He replied tersely. “Where will we go?”
.
“First…. we will descend this desolate peak of yours. And then (rest assured you will experience occasional and welcome respites along the way) we will journey past boulders and jagged outcroppings, over fields of loose shale, along narrow paths and valleys raging with deep rivers…. we will traverse dangerous terrains occupied with wolfish predators, and every foulness that would kill you, steal what you have, and destroy all you’re becoming, on your way to the next peak. Come… let us press on now together to the reward that awaits you…”
.
© Richard Lloyd Cederberg
2026
A NEW RACE OF HuMANS