Golden Eagles are large powerful raptors and much less common to see these days than bald eagles. I created this linocut after spending the day with Mike Lockhart, a biologist who tracks golden eagles to gather data to help learn how to prevent collisions with wind turbines.

This is an original print on Rives BFK paper with black ink in a small edition of 14 prints. The image is 18 x 24 inches and the paper is 22 x 30 inches.

Wind Power

Here, the sky takes more space than the land.
The color of light, the force of wind, and the emptiness
define this spare country.
This is not the home of people.
It’s the home of sage brush, prairie dogs, and coyotes,
of golden eagles who hunt quick hidden mice.
This is the cold, high, dry land.

Here, wind turbines turn.
They appear lazy, but are deceptively fast,
looming large across the landscape,
saving our future with every rotation.
Relentless Wyoming winds scour the landscape, and turn the blades.
Currents form invisible highways for soaring raptors,
hunting with one eye to the ground.

Here, eagles fly with deadly confidence.
They think they rule
with powerful wings, wicked claws, and razor beaks.
But they are wrong.
They haven’t evolved prey instincts,
they aren’t looking for white blades slicing the air.
Now, people and their machines are the apex predator.

Here, where the wind turbines spin us into clean electricity,
there are raptors, bats, songbirds, and insects
dodging the obstacle course.
This was their place first.
While saving the world with wind power,
do we have the energy to protect the natives whose home we’ve invaded?
Have we learned any lessons yet?