Conversation with a Crow
[Voice from the Other Side – Sha’Tara]
A crow lands on my shoulder. Why am I not surprised? She speaks in my ear:
“Yes, I’m a crow. An ordinary crow. You have to believe me, this is a vision — visions don’t lie.
You don’t like us much. We know. We know why too. You don’t like our ways and you don’t like the sounds we make. You’d like to get rid of us, maybe kill us because we interfere with your idea of a quite back yard with lots of song birds flitting about and building nests in your hedges and shrubs.
But killing us or getting rid of us isn’t going to solve the problem. I’d like you to understand us.
We are creatures of programming. We don’t have any choice in being who we are, or how we are. We think that you are our gods and you made us in your image. We try to live up to that. We like you, so many of us choose to live in your neighborhoods. We try to fit. We observe your ways and try to become more and more like you. We are raucous, aggressive, greedy and gregarious – just like you. We are predators and successful survivors. We do not respect the space of others and we take or steal whatever we find with the least effort to ourselves. We feed our young with the young taken from the nests of those who can’t defend themselves – just like you do. OK, we have not yet learned to eat the young of our own species but we are thinking about that. If that becomes necessary to be more like you, we will undoubtedly accept it as part of our evolution.
Our young are loud and squawky when they come out of the nest, expecting us to feed them long after they are quite capable of doing so on their own. To shut them up we try to satisfy their wants – just like you do with yours. It’s all a matter of observation and evolution.
There are prophecies in the crow world that say the gods (you humans) will disappear from this world and another species would be promoted to take their place. It is said that we crows will inherit that place. That is why we are so close to you; why we adapt to your ways and emulate your actions. We want to evolve, it’s that simple. We will be “Crowman.”
You think I make no sense?” Then she flew off when she saw a robin carrying twigs to build a nest.
~Burning Woman~ 
Oh my… I actually like crows, but this piece puts the whole experience in new perspective. Love the parallels… 🙂
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Thanks Lisa… I also like crows actually, but here they’ve killed all the robins.
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Aww… That’s a dilemma, because I like robins, too… sigh…
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I love crows, they have the most hilarious, unique personality. And to put the crow and the philosophical element in the same piece of writing makes for the perfect post.
Ariana
https://ravenwingssoar.wordpress.com
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Thanks, Ariana
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Interesting analogy, ShaâTara.
I am not sure that I get the ending, though.
I (and Word 2016) picked up a couple of things highlighted below (a semi colon, a spelling, and an extra space).
Best wishes,
Regis
Conversation with a Crow
[Voice from the Other Side – Sha’Tara]
A crow lands on my shoulder. Why am I not surprised? She speaks in my ear:
“Yes, I’m a crow. An ordinary crow. You have to believe me, this is a vision — visions don’t lie.
You don’t like us much. We know. We know why too. You don’t like our ways and you don’t like the sounds we make. You’d like to get rid of us, maybe kill us because we interfere with your idea of a quite back yard with lots of song birds flitting about and building nests in your hedges and shrubs.
But killing us or getting rid of us isn’t going to solve the problem. I’d like you to understand us.
We are creatures of programming. We don’t have any choice in being who we are, or how we are. We think that you are our gods and you made us in your image. We try to live up to that. We like you, so many of us choose to live in your neighbourhoods. We try to fit. We observe your ways and try to become more and more like you. We are raucous, aggressive, greedy and gregarious – just like you. We are predators and successful survivors. We do not respect the space of others and we take or steal whatever we find with the least effort to ourselves. We feed our young with the young taken from the nests of those who can’t defend themselves – just like you do. OK, we have not yet learned to eat the young of our own species but we are thinking about that. If that becomes necessary to be more like you, we will undoubtedly accept it as part of our evolution.
Our young are loud and squawky when they come out of the nest, expecting us to feed them long after they are quite capable of doing so on their own. To shut them up we try to satisfy their wants – just like you do with yours. It’s all a matter of observation and evolution.
There are prophecies in the crow world that say the gods (you humans) will disappear from this world and another species would be promoted to take their place. It is said that we crows will inherit that place. That is why we are so close to you; why we adapt to your ways and emulate your actions. We want to evolve, it’s that simple. We will be “Crowman.”
You think I make no sense?” Then she flew off when she saw a robin carrying twigs to build a nest.
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To the ending line, crows start early in spring locating other birds’ nests so they can prey on the eggs or little ones later for food for their own nestlings. “Mother” nature at her best? Man may be, by far, the worst ever predator, but he’s not the only vicious one. One could say that nature doesn’t have a sense of “right and wrong” and it’s all a matter of survival but we already know that isn’t so. Much “natural” predatoriness goes beyond mere needs or survival.
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Crows are pretty sure intelligent alright. I like the concept of this post. They are social animals just like us, too.
Also, right now I have a freshly hatched squawking young one demanding food night and day, so I can well imagine the parallels
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Thanks for that comment… yes, crows: very human!
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Interesting- both how you have brought out crows in a new light and the prophecy at the end.
At my place, there an interesting saying about crows which goes like this – if a crowd caws outside a person home, then its a signal that guest’s are going to arrive. 🙂
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Throughout known history crows have accompanied man. Often they were tamed (I had a tame pet crow long time ago) and taught to express themselves in a kind of “humnan” way, which probably led me to concoct that story. I could say much, much more on this, and man’s relationship to nature but no time now. Thank you for your comment, and just to add, if guests arrived every time a crow caws outside the house here, we’d never be free of guests!
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powerful, sad and true at the same time
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Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I write these little allegories, or parables, in an attempt to help people think; put things in a different perspective, so thanks again!
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Love this poem. The first time the crows attacked my cardinals and little swamp birds I was devastated. Hated them! But in time, when they congregated near me, I began to speak to them. I think we have an understanding. I’ve asked them to go into another yard and find food there, and they do. Although I feel guilty that other birds are now being eaten, I remember–as you said–that I am part of a predatory race and will do anything for the survival of what’s mine, including my wild yard birds 😦
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Wonderful comment. I have had visions of a future earth where the predator/prey system is no longer in effect – wonderful place. It is a Matrix lie that the P/P system is necessary to maintain balance: another imperialist piece of propaganda. Another vision of a future earth/parallel earth: for the people who need shelter, as in houses, no need to fall trees or damage the environment: the trees grow according to your needs and provide housing within themselves. No conflict, no killing. We can achieve that future… if we choose to, or we can continue as is and believe the endless lies of an anti-life system that forces all things to compete and kill each other rather than exist symbiotically.
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Yes, we can only work toward that type of future by educating others. 🙂
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