I have several types of wild birds in my life and each serve a different purpose. This is a good thing, because there is a bird / flight underlying theme in my novel in verse.

The first type of bird lives here with me, on our property. We have a pair of mated hawks that have a nest in one of our Cottonwoods. They raise babies every year and have always been very upfront with us that they think our hens look very tasty. They've been trying to figure out how to get those big, juicy ladies in their mouths for a long long time. In order to keep peace, they have so far foregone their desires and we all seem to live fairly peaceably. The big dog keeps a close eye on them and when they're out soaring, she runs beneath and let's them know whose property this really is.

The hawks are austere birds, dark souls, focused, contemplative They remind me a lot of my female protagonists—they just take everything so seriously.

I have a heron I see most mornings on the way into school. She visits the ditch just across from the cattle stalls, stands on one leg, and as the car passes she takes flight and soars somewhat awkwardly right at window level as we pass. I don't know where she goes after that, but when we do see her, I know she is a harbinger of good tidings.

I get this feeling, this sense, that whatever is eating at me just can't compete with the beauty of a heron flying beside my car. It's a battle between good and evil everyday and when the heron is aloft, good wins.

We have a huge flock of Snow Geese that visit the wet open fields near our home. They are so large and regal, their feet and beaks black. What I love about the geese is that when they are on the ground, standing tall or sitting, they look quite reasonable and attractive, but to see them fly is to laugh. Their necks stick out too far, and their bodies are so large and heavy, and then of course, from such a spectacular bird comes the sound: honk, honk, honk.

Most importantly, have an owl. And the thing about the owl is that the experience of her coo in the night is deeply intertwined