In the corners of my mind this a scene has played again and again:

A little vixen, who has just tucked her kits in for the night, heads out to hunt. She leaves with head and tail held high, down a familiar path. She knows where to find plenty of food, but as soon as she is out of sight, an eagle swoops low, dropping a couple of fish before the den's open door.

Alone on the river I sat,
A fox, watching the fish swim by.
An eagle flew overhead,
Up in the sky so high.

To the river
I have come to fish,
But in the pale moonlight
I watch their tails swish.

Why does this eagle not join me?
And by my side sit?
Why does he stay away,
And leave me in this pit?

My friend forever,
He swore to be.
What did he mean,
Since I cannot fly as he?

My husband,
With whom I always want to be,
Please, please dear love,
Come down to your Vixen, that’s me.

I know you don’t fancy the view,
From the ground below.
You don’t like to be where there is
Sorrow and woe.

If only we all could escape
As you –
And fly away from our troubles,
The way that you do…

Then I wouldn’t be sitting here,
In the pale moon light,
All alone.
O, to see with your eagle sight!

…At one time I made
A home up in an oak tree.
Hoping you would be happy
With the children and me.

They still love to clammer,
In that old oak tree.
But a home on the ground
Is where they be.

Oh my Eagle,
Up in the sky,
I know you long to teach…
Teach us all to fly.

But why must you
Always escape?
You act as though the ground
Is covered with red tape.

What is down here below,
That you so wish to avoid?
What has happened since your parent’s fighting,
To keep you so annoyed?

Or is it simply the escape?
To be away from it all?
Do you fly so high,
For fear you will fall?

At times I have attempted to lure the eagle to me, by leaving large salmon out for him to find.  He circles overhead, but never comes to land.  I watch until the children need me.  When I return, the fish and the eagle are gone.

To his home I long to go,
But no nest has he.
He lives up upon a rocky crag,
In a lone pine tree.

His home is in the mountains,
Across the gully,
Over the river,
And hidden fully,

From my vantage point.
I cannot see
How to get to where
He loves to be.

 This was the scene, day after day, night after night.

Then the Vixen grew bold. She climbed down the gully, crossed the river, and navigated the mountains, to the lone pine tree.

The Eagle was resting when the little fox approached his high, lone tree. Then he began to molt. In shock and bewilderment the eagle hopped to the ground. Despite his efforts, he could not fly! He shook his wings and hopped around, dismayed to be on the ground.

His feathers grew and changed, until he appeared a great black cat.

With powerful legs, he crept through the trees to an open meadow. To a herd of antelope, then, after the leader, he took out. A trophy antelope he took down, then left it there on the ground.

Back to my home I did go. He followed, close behind me!

 * All dream symbols are taken from Dream Moods (dot) com, as was most applicable to my images.  If you are looking for the interpretation to your dreams, visit the site, as some of the symbols had multiple meanings.