Eagle Dreams
By Delia Malone
I wait
and as I wait, I dream
Of those days when my chosen one and I
would dance in the sky
Soaring to the heavens,
tumbling to earth.
For twenty years we danced to the song of life.
Our bond growing stronger with each brood
of eaglets that we fledged.
For twenty years, my chosen partner
faithfully, daily, brought me and our young food
as I sheltered our nestlings.
And so, I wait.
Another has come to try
and win my affection,
to take his place as my companion.
But I dream of those days together with Him,
dancing in the sky.
Daily I’ve returned to our fishing tree
at the edge of the Roaring River
where we perched together, waiting, preening, bonding,
and watching for a chance for fish.
And so, I wait, hoping, dreaming of His return.
The Passenger in Seat 33B
By Tom Mercer
Orville Casey stood in the line of passengers boarding Flight 107. The flight was scheduled to depart Chicago’s O’Hare Airport at 12:15pm and it looked as though the plane would be departing on time. The line began to move forward. Orville found his seat, 33C, and stowed his carry-on bag in the overhead compartment. It seemed to Orville that it would be an uneventful flight, but that would not be the case.
As Orville watched the activity on the tarmac below, a man that had been behind him in the boarding line sat down in seat 33B. His clothing seemed dated but otherwise his behavior was unremarkable. Orville noted that the man had taken a book out of his briefcase to read during their flight. The book was titled “Strange Occurrences.” It was then that a stewardess requested that all passengers adjust their seats to the upright position and fasten their seatbelts. Orville was pleased that the flight would be departing on schedule.
As the plane taxied to its assigned runway, Orville introduced himself to the man in seat 33B. The man’s name was Will, and he was returning to his hometown: Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Orville had visited relatives in Phoenixville, so he was familiar with the area.
They talked about the beauty of John James Audubon’s estate on the Schuylkill River in Valley Forge (where George Washington’s army spent a miserably brutal winter), Independence Hall in Philadelphia and numerous other locations of historic importance in Eastern Pennsylvania. They even touched on the subject of the mysterious beasts that were rumored to occupy the thick forests of the region. Neither man believed that the beasts actually existed, writing off the rumors as superstition. However, both agreed that the “backcountry” of Pennsylvania offered fertile ground for folktales about strange beasts and occult practices. Both acknowledged that strange tales and superstitions could easily take root in the hills and dark forests of Pennsylvania. Orville remembered a colloquial term that seemed fitting in light of their chat. “Poppycock!” he said. Neither man knew the origin of the word, but it seemed altogether fitting and proper. Both chuckled.
Their chat continued as they flew east. They talked about baseball, early seafaring explorers, notable schools and colleges in Pennsylvania, and a number of other topics.
Before long, an announcement informed the passengers that the weather in Philadelphia was good, and they could expect to be on time.
The plane landed safely and proceeded to its assigned arrival gate. The passengers unbuckled their seatbelts and gathered their belongings in preparation for exit. Orville was still putting things in his briefcase when he noticed that Will was already moving up the aisle. Will was out of sight when Orville noticed that the book Will had been reading was still in seat 33B.
Orville picked up the book, intending to drop it off at a lost-and-found if he was unable to locate Will. He exited the plane and looked for Will, but the man was nowhere to be seen, so he asked an airline employee at the gate if they could return the book to its owner at the address that had been given when the ticket was purchased. The airline staff checked but informed Orville that no one by that name had been on the flight. Seat 33B had not been assigned to anyone.
So, Orville kept the book and read it, and re-read it many times over the years. And for years, each time Orville traveled by air he scanned the crowded airports looking for Will.