Ode to the Falcon, Fandango

I was in the car quite a bit today. I drove to the city and back to Stillwater, and then I went up to Ponca with my friend Stefani on an unsuccessful endeavor to retrieve her blow dryer that she had left at her parents' house (I say unsuccessful considering we drove up there, went to her folks, and then left without even thinking about getting the blow dryer).

On our way up 177, suddenly in front of us there is a falcon nabbing its lunch off the middle of the highway. Stefani starts screaming, I was like, "Oh my!" and then WHACK the bird hits the front end of Stefani's car and goes tumbling down the highway. She continues to scream, almost giving herself a Charlie Horse. About a minute later, we both stop screaming, and I start laughing because, well, it was pretty funny when you think about it.

On our way back, we keep our eyes open for our lost feathered friend on the side of the road. I think Stefani was hopeful she had simply knocked the thing out (although we did hit that thing going about 65 mph...so...yeah...). She slows down because we notice something on the side. I have my camera ready, and we pull up alongside it. Sure enough, there's the poor falcon dead on the side of the road. Stefani for some reason misunderstands and doesn't think that it was the bird we hit and starts to drive away just as I'm about to shoot a photo. I start yelling at her to stop, and so she stops about 50 yards ahead on the side of the road. I jump out and run back, all the while like 10 cars pass us. I notice that they seem to be slowing down, and I'm hoping it's just because there is a car on the side of the road, but alas, I turn around and a red pick up is stopped behind her car. I snap a quick photo and walk back to her car and pass the red pickup. A guy and his daughter (I assume) are sitting in the truck and the man asks if I'm alright. I'm laughing hysterically and say, "Oh yeah." And run up to Stefani's car. I can hear her laughing about 10 yards back and I jump in and we take off. We continued to laugh for quite some time.

Now, the death of a bird, a falcon at that, is really a solemn occasion. So, I have written an Ode to the Falcon, whom we shall call Fandango.

Ode to the Falcon, Fandango

Oh Fandango, your light once shone
Until an autumn afternoon, alone
You flew to catch your prey,
Not knowing it would be your last day.

The sky was a radiant blue,
And the sun shone brightly too.
You gracefully swept to the ground,
Reaching with your talons to take what you found.

In a moment, your dreams of partaking your lunch
Were shattered with a crunch.
The monster Civic came at full speed,
And the passengers screamed, yet gave no heed.

The thump of your head hitting the car
Was the last thing you felt and heard before seeing stars.
Your limp body popped up and over,
Spinning and whirling before landing in clover.

Oh Fandango, your beauty will never again arise
To hunt, to fly, to soar in the skies.
But alas the old adage for drivers reigns true:
"You have to choose between the bird and you."