As I sit on the highest tree of my kingdom I close my eyes after a successful hunt, not having anything to worry about, nothing hunts me. I choose between others living and dying.  If I am not hunting then I am sleeping and even when I am sleeping I rehearse the perfect kill. My efficient, deadly tools that are my hooked feet and head are the reason to my great success which has served me well over the years. The high trees of my Heaven and all the conditions are advantageous to me as I search the floor for my next kill, I see everything nothing escapes my eyes and there is no hiding from me on the tallest tree in the woods that I have claimed and fought for many times. Everything and anything is beneath me. As my claws clutch the branch, I think to myself it took the whole of creation to produce my foot and my every feather as I am the best. I am at the top and now, every day I am taking creation in my claws and killing it wherever I please because everything is mine. There is nothing in sight that can challenge me This is how I wanted it to stay however that day I realised you can’t have everything your own way.

I was out on a morning hunt, just another day, nothing had changed and then once I caught my prey I turned back to go to my nest and eat my well deserved food. That’s when I saw him in my nest! Who would be brave enough to even go near my nest, he was getting bigger yet I was still quite far away from my lair. As I arrived I realised he was a giant! I have never fought against a Hawk this big before, I attempted to scratch his face but he just brushed me off, he didn’t even move. I flew off. I’ve never done that before. It just felt like the right thing to do at the time, to live and fight another day. I found a place to stay that night a couple of trees downs from my previous tree. I am disgusted at myself, I thought I was the King, I was the biggest, strongest and fastest yet today I learnt that I wasn’t. That next day I was tempted to try and take back my rightful place at the top of the woods yet I saw him go hunting and in one swift movement he grabbed his prey and devoured it instantly. That was the first time that I doubted myself.

After a few days passed as I watched him as two different hawks in quick succession tried to overtake his throne, the first just tried a straight up close quarters fight and was beaten almost straight away yet the second tried a different approach, he flow around and allowed the other bird to chase him, this is when I saw that the king was not so agile and around that area it was very compact with lots of branches sticking out of everywhere. The king eventually caught the second intruder but I could see that he was tired this was my opportunity and no other bird knew that area like I did, I had been there for many years. I went for it.

I flew up above the trees and rocketed back down again right next to this beast trying to draw him out, I could fell the wind brushing threw my feathers. Immediately he jumped out of the nest and flew after me, he could smell my fear in the air. He was catching up fast yet I knew what I was doing. I weaved in and out of different branches and lead him to the most dangerous part of the woods where there are only a few safe spaces to fit through yet I could see he was still followed me, as I weaved in and out of the branches I hear a Bang! He had clipped his wing and he wasn’t flying properly. This was the right moment to start the fight. I pulled up and into the open space, immediately I stopped in mid air with my long sharp claws out waiting for him to crash into them which he did, however he was still strong and put up a fight, he scratched me across my face yet I was biting his throat after minutes of fighting he finally backed down and flew off. I was victorious , I had won and gained my throne back at the top of the woods. I rested for a few hours remembering and experiencing my feelings from the past, feelings of pride and strength, never again would I let my nest go. The sun is behind me, yet things have changed but my eyes will permit no more change. I am going to keep things like this.