Every person who sleeps⁣
becomes that person⁣
who surrenders⁣
⁣
not from weakness⁣
but from the ancient agreement⁣
between the vulture and the eagle,⁣
⁣
wwhere the vulture,⁣
that patient bird⁣
born of dawn,⁣
whose terrible eyesight⁣
⁣
sees what the living⁣
prefer not to ⁣
circles every bed⁣
in every darkened city,⁣
⁣
between one breath and the next,⁣
and says,⁣
in the oldest voice,⁣
⁣
I have carried you this far,⁣
trust me to carry you tomorrow⁣

and every person⁣
who has ever closed their eyes⁣
has heard this⁣
without knowing,⁣
⁣
has given themselves⁣
to the vulture’s wings⁣
and woken to the eagle⁣
and called it⁣
simply⁣
⁣
morning

NaPoWriMo Day 20 prompt – For today, try writing your own poem that uses an animal that shows up in myths and legends as a metaphor for some aspect of a contemporary person’s life. Include one spoken phrase.

The vulture represents Jatayu, of Ramayana, who had sharp vision to see when Sita was kidnapped by Ravana. The creature that feeds on the dead dies protecting the living.

Painting by Van Gogh