Navajo Eclipse

The sun was dying. The Navajo grandfather called all his family to come inside the hogan. It was not good to stare at an eclipse, the light could be blinding.

The sun was dying, but this was not a bad thing. The sun had become exhausted, consumed by the heat of its own fires and needed to become renewed. For a brief moment, the sun and the moon touched each other, engaging in intimate relations. The sun and the moon edged closer together, whispering as they discussed the health of the earth, the future of mankind. It is not polite to watch such a private moment, even if the only bodies involved are astronomical.

The last member of the family to step inside the hogan and listen to the ancient stories is the old man’s favorite grandson.

“Grandfather,” the boy begins “Today I saw a golden eagle.”

This morning the boy has been to the waterfalls known as Grand Falls of the Little Colorado River, Chocolate Falls to the tourists, and to the Navajo as “The Speaking Waters.” The favorite grandson has been to the waterfalls this morning and as always he returns to tell his grandfather which kinds of birds and how many he has seen. Grandfather does not move around very much anymore…