Peregrine Falcon Inspires Poetic Creation

By Catherine T. Horn, Greenwich Branch

Linda Hortick, letters member of Greenwich Pen Women, and her husband, Edward, recently embarked on an extraordinary voyage aboard the Viking Polaris that led to a remarkable poetic creation shared with everyone on the ship. Not just a cruise ship, the Viking Polaris is an educational vessel specializing in expeditions that instruct passengers about ocean life, climate change, and migratory birds. Scientists on board conduct studies daily and offer lectures on a range of topics related to the sea.

One day, a large bird was spotted on a railing in front of the ship’s lobby. Linda Hortick said everyone was in awe of this creature, with its fierce landing, hooked beak, piercing eyes, and strong talons. One of the scientists identified it as a peregrine falcon. Able to fly at speeds of over 200 miles an hour, it’s the fastest falcon in the world.

Later, the Horticks had the good fortune of having the falcon land on their private balcony. Edward, an accomplished photographer, took numerous photos of this majestic raptor.

Days later, Linda was taken ill and confined to her cabin for four days. While gazing at the pictures of the falcon, she began writing about it. Part mini-blitz and part ekphrastic, the resulting poem captured the experience from her point of view, complementing Edward’s stunning photographs.

Linda explained, “I typed it on my phone, sent it to guest services, and asked them to deliver it to the captain. Apparently, he loved it and sent it to the head scientist, who read it on stage at the Aura Theater before the evening’s presentation. It got a healthy round of applause. It was also featured on Viking Today, the in-house channel broadcast to all the rooms, and distributed to all the staff. I had no idea about all of this until I saw passengers I knew when I was going to the doctor. The doctor told me he loved the poem, and the falcon was amazing. When I went back to our stateroom and heard the head scientist read it so beautifully, I was thrilled.”

The Flight of the Peregrine Falcon

Across the bow the waves surge embracing the Viking Polaris

Across the bow we see a falcon in flight

Flight of great speed stopping quite abruptly on the ship’s polished rail

Flight amazing all the passengers watching

Watching and calling out, “Falcon, falcon, what kind?”

Watching, we find out, he is a peregrine falcon, the fastest bird of prey in the world

World he travels 200 miles per hour as master of the air

World he travels from Canada to the tip of South America

South America for the winter, a regular snowbird on steroids

South America to enjoy the warmth of the sun to feast on an abundance of fish

Fish he sees in a split second as he dives to grab them with his mighty talons

Fish that have zero chance to live when he spots them with his sharp-eyed vision

Vision he uses to see us as he moves sideways on the ship’s rail

Vision that tells him just to observe us, as we are not the prey he wants

Wants he has for juicy fish swimming about having a good time

Wants to eat on time, as he is on a schedule

Schedule to follow his route in the sky to meet other falcons and perhaps find a mate

Schedule, he follows as he hitches a ride to rest on the Viking Polaris’ rail

Rail with a peregrine falcon. A photo moment, snapped on cell phones, immortalized in photos forwarded all over the world

World so big, yet so small

World of the Viking Polaris planned for our enjoyment and education

Education about science we appreciate

Education learning about the peregrine falcon, as we watch him soar high in the sky, at

Breath-taking speed, to his next destination.

– Linda Hortick
Written for the Viking Polaris in honor of Capt. Xavier Mongin