birds, dream
a little after moving into my new apartment, i was standing next to the large bedroom window, which is level with the lawn of the house. suddenly something hit the window with a *THUNK*, leaving behind a tuft of grey feathers and some brownish clear liquid dripping down the glass. in that brief instant, i saw what it was: a kestrel had caught a starling in flight and was trying to bring it down. i thought they had flown away, and a couple minutes passed. then there was an explosion of activity from beneath the bushes to the side of the window, and the birds shot out across the grass. i saw them clearly then: the kestrel had evidently loosened his grip on the starling, who tried to make a run (fly?) for it... and was unsuccessful, as the kestrel caught it again and then took off, the starling then only a limp black package in its claws.
i've seen the kestrels a couple times since: there is a pair of them, and they are often hanging out in the tallest pine trees of kinsmen gorge park.
last night i dreamed of a kestrel: it came to tell me something, but i don't remember what. this has been bothering me, so i looked up hawk and falcon in a couple online dream dictionaries, even though i usually think dreams are too contextual and personal for such broad analysis. in this case, the symbolism is very much linked to my current state of mind. funny.
perhaps my next tattoo will be a kestrel.
[photo not mine... i wish it was!]