… He was running. He ran and ran until he thought his heart would explode along with his burning lungs. The air felt like he was on fire with every breath of oxygen.
The dark, wet, urine-scented streets offered no shelter. The footsteps of his pursuers were not far behind. They didn’t blow whistles but shouted back and forth. Their metal, wood, and plastic snaps, clinks, and jingles made their distinctive noises as the chase unfolded. “Take it down the alley, Roger! I’ll cut it off at the other end!”
Running and running some more, she didn’t know where she was or where to run next. The dark alley allowed some cover and protection. A door led an entrance to a stairway made of rotten and broken planks. They were heading up. Higher and higher, she climbed. The danger that pursued them was already far behind. They couldn’t find it. He was standing on top of the bombed-out building looking down on them. The ones who are decked out in blue and black attire with glittering and glittering ornaments attached; some were silver and some were gold in color. The gold ones were attached to the belt line of everyday clothing, while the silver or tin ones were attached to the tracker’s assigned blue-colored chest pockets.
Looking over the edge of the roof, he saw them searching furiously and frantically. They were searching but afraid to go inside and up the rotten and moldy stairs of the dark and ominous bombed out building. His fear encouraged him to climb those stairs and out onto the twelve-story roof.
Over the edge, the ledge produced a nest of yellowish-beige orbs. The rounded things were big but smaller than a basketball. She handled the eggs with tender care, for they felt warm and inviting to the touch. He felt the need to keep them close, to protect them. He didn’t know why.
Wrapping the three of them tenderly and carefully inside his heavy winter coat, he started down the stairs; heading home Something, someone placed an unexpected and unwanted hand on her left shoulder. Startled, he tried to run for the door that led to the stairs below. The hand turned into a grip, then another.
The big, strong grip kept him from getting out; to move; to go home.
“Where are you going with those eggs boy?” said a strange and threatening voice. Without turning to see who was interrogating him along with the powerful restraint, he replied, “I’m going home to take care of these babies!”
“You drink?” the voice asked. “Those aren’t babies! It’s our breakfast!”
A power seized him. A power he did not recognize gave him the courage and confidence to challenge would-be usurpers of it.
Before he realized there were four assailants, the vision of them flying backwards and being pinned down by the asphalt filled every one of his waking visions. They lay bleeding, bent and broken. The fourth was thrown from the roof and resting dead in the dumpster below. The ‘Green Beret’ martial arts training seemed to work on its own in a fatal defense of him and his newly found babies.
The eagles grew over time. They had never flown nor did they have a presentiment or desire to do so. The natural God endowed with strength and beauty subliminally urged them continually to abandon the sanctity of the backyard coup. They were beautiful and powerful young egrets. Heaven beckoned – freedom beckoned; the wind called loudly.
The other chicken, parrot, finch, dove and ‘Tweety’ birds wondered who and what kind of bird the three were. They didn’t know what they were. All they knew was the love, care, and respect shared and reciprocated here. They were brothers and sisters. They took care of each other. They protected each other. The little ones could go in and out of small cracks in search of food and unattainable desires for the bigger ones who couldn’t. The dog, the wolf, the fox, and any other threat, enemy, or predator dared not venture into her peaceful and loving home, at least while her three larger-than-life siblings were around. “They kept us all safe: everything and everyone remained apprehensive or aloof if only because of their opulent stature.”
The three eagles did more or less what the others in the house did. But something told them that they were destined for something more.
A great shadow crossed his forehead during the day. They looked up and saw a magnificent sight. “What view to hold?” shouted one of the three eagle brothers. “What is it?” the others asked. “She looks just like us!”
“How can you know?” asked one of the family members. “He’s so high up and so far away I can barely see him!” exclaimed the chicken.
“We can see it clearly, like it’s right next to us!” said one of the sharp-eyed eagle brothers. The man said: “He is of his species, my children. He, like you, is majestic… he is an Eagle!” he said with pride and a wide smile on his face. “You are meant to fly as he does. He, like you, is the ‘King of the Sky – The King of Birds! I have raised you here to protect you and keep you safe from harm – today is the day I must ride on the clouds and answer the call.”
The man began to undo the sky screen keeping them locked in the yard area with the other yard birds. The three brothers began to stretch and beat their eight-foot-long wings. They began to emulate the king bird above.
“Oh this feels great, feels magnificent, what a power we feel, it’s just glorious! Brother, we knew we were more than garden birds! Not chicken, parrot, finch, dove or Tweety – we knew we were/are eagles ; Kings of heaven!
A loud explosion sounded as the fence next to the wall of the house shattered into toothpicks. Cages and shocks collapsed, allowing sick and injured birds to flinch, cry, howl, scream, and shriek in pain, agony, and panic. Guardians and soldiers charged, crashed, and stomped everywhere, in the name of search, seizure, rescue, arrest, and destruction.
“We know you run a pot farm here! You drug-dealing slime! We know you robbed the neighborhood Micky-D’s, the gas station, the donut shack, the grocery store, and ‘Driving While Black!’ You have killed a man and attacked his friends!
They punched, kicked and pushed the man who tried to turn the other cheek. He couldn’t.
The eagles rushed to defend. The Game Wardens and Troopers were severely attacked by the ‘larger than life’ avenging birds. The first eagle flapped its huge wings and created a funnel of wind with the power of an “F-3” tornado. Blowing up several of the marauders, throwing them back and into the street. The second eagle seized two intruders, one in each claw; and with little to no effort, it flapped its mighty wings and flew high above the surrounding buildings and houses. The captive prey screamed at the top of its lungs as if it was spooked and frightened by the tallest and most powerful roller coaster of monsters on the planet. Flying high and fast, the mighty bird swooped down and, like a bomber, dropped the two grown men into the city’s rainwater reservoir four and a half miles away on 33rd Street. The third eagle was standing with its eight and a half foot wingspan extended. The increased stance greatly intimidated the remaining marauders. They reached Nets, Tasers, Guns, Batons and other available assault weapons.
The eagle flashed its large bright, keen eyes. The fear of God overcame them. Two of them notably soiled the front of their pants while paralyzed with fear. The others, in their fear and hatred, continued the attempted rampage.
The man sprang into action. Three loiterers were kicked backwards in the street, while another with a gun drawn was thrown over the man’s right shoulder and slammed to the concrete floor. The sound of breaking pottery and human bones filled the immediate air. The other happy and healthy garden birds joined in the tumult in defense of their precious and beloved abode. They all managed to push the intruders back and out into the street near their vehicles.
The media discovered, reported and filmed the warrantless assault on the man and his friends. All the charges were shown to be without merit and the charges to be unfounded. The unreasonable attack and indictment was engineered and engineered by an evil corrupt member of the force who was denounced for abusive tactics and harassment on multiple occasions for his indiscretions and blatant disregard for police protocols in his personal vendetta and terrorist practices against those he he considered and believes to be undesirable and beneath him. The truncated reports of him have caused an undue rupture between the responsible authoritative community and the community at large. The surreptitious act was corrected with resistance to injustice and bitter resentment.
The eagles, who were raised with chickens, took flight in Mighty Wings of Truth and Justice with Glorious Pride alongside his partner Sky-King: The Man was Free and Run Away No More.
Until next time…
‘SANKOFA’
