Beware!

Corvids are indeed dark creatures.

Ravens

are nobody's friend.

Their black feathers

tar the sky

as their hollow eyes

fix upon the ground

and they seek to

fill insatiable beaks

with garbage, rodents,

the eggs and nestlings

of other birds,

and the dead flesh

of carrion.

 

15/10/19

Author's Note

Reviews

[Eilis]

I don't know. I think scavenger birds are actually very helpful to human communities because of the way they clean up things that we find objectionable. They are serving their purpose. They do have an eerie quality to them that makes you feel you ought to maintain a wide berth though, for sure.

I've never actually seen a raven, but we are surrounded by crows where I live. They nest on the tops of light poles in shopping center parking lots and watch everyone then swoop down and eat the trash people have thrown on the ground. The gather like gangs which can sometimes be disconcerting.

I suppose everything has a darker side to its nature. The eating of eggs and nestlings you mention here certainly makes the raven seem menacing. But I believe the Corvus genus to be very intelligent birds. I know crows maintain family units and work together. I find them fascinating.

An interesting offering from you, John. I love the description of the feathers tarring the sky, that is quite evocative. And your poem as a whole feels dynamic--like the chaos of flapping wings. I enjoyed the reading.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Oh I fully agree with you about how such birds contribute to the cycle of life. Vultures for example help prevent disease by consuming infected carcases as they have highly acidic stomachs that kill any pathogens. Jays and magpies are fascinating corvids and as you say highly intelligent. The novel ways they learn to get at my birdfeeders is testament to that! Many thanks Eilis.

[Chris Shaw]

I don't like ravens. I associate them with death and the Bloody Tower of London My thoughts formed long before I read Poe. They are dark creatures and make me shiver. Your descriptive lines, well done. One of the few I don't like, vultures are another. Maybe they remind me of human behaviour. Good morning John.

Chris

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Ah good afternoon Chris. I see them as fascinating and beautiful but I get the spooky part lol. Many thanks