Carol A. Hand
Image: Tree and Crows – Microsoft WORD Clip Art (Public Domain Pictures)
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A crowd of crows convenes to caw out a warning,
“The hungry feral black cat is hunting in the tall grass!
Beware little birds if you want to live to see another sunny morning.
But take pity on a starving cat
who’s only doing what he must.
Alone, abandoned he fends for himself
to live in a world that sometimes seems unjust.”
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Image: Black Cat – Microsoft WORD Clip Art
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Note: I chose to use the phrase “crowd of crows” even though a group of crows is technically referred to as “a murder of crows.” The context and my feelings about crows called for a more fitting description.
It’s important to add that like some of my neighbors, I bought cat food to feed him and his tiger-striped companion. They turn up their noses after sniffing the food, but the crows find it delightful…
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Copyright Notice: © Carol A. Hand and carolahand, 2013-2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Carol A. Hand and carolahand with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Voices from the Margins 
Isn’t that so profound – murder of crows – they are FANTASTIC around here… xoxoxox
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It’s so good to hear from you, Trace. Yes, the way we view and name other animals is fascinating. Crows here are fantastic here, too. 🙂
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Murder of crows, that’s interesting. And of all the people that should have known that, I didn’t.
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It is interesting to see how dominant views of nature are reflected in the names and characterizations assigned to other animals…
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Black cat says, “Them crows are for the birds… literally!”;-)
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Good one, Dave ! 🙂
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I enjoy reading your poetry. I like ” a crowd of crows conversing…” much better than the technically correct term. Nice alliteration and it evokes a clearer scene.
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Thank you, Kathy. ❤
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Oops, “convenes”, not “conversing” I wasn’t taking it upon myself to edit your work!
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Thank you for your lovely comments, Kathy. I appreciate your thoughtfulness a great deal 🙂
And please don’t worry about the typo. It’s the kindness that counts. (I’ve spent hours editing and re-editing a manuscript today and I know there are still more typos I’ve missed.)
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The curse of living in a world whose modus operandi is predation. Will we ever develop the wisdom to change that? It is after all at the root of all earth’s problems.
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Thank you for raising an important question, Sha’Tara. Perhaps this the the nature of the world we were born into and the only changes we can make first are within ourselves?
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I think it is a truism that the only valid change anyone can engage is the changing of one’s self – from our thinking, words and deeds. This brings about a change of outlook for the whole world, in fact for the cosmos. It also increases awareness of all the things people (and nature in general, no one gets off the hook here) engage in that are limiting, negative, destructive, violent, and in the end pointless and utterly unnecessary. Awareness cuts through the BS of explanations for this or that, be they religious, socially established or scientific. It makes one aware that by and large this particular planet is not a natural world but an artificial construct with an artificial operating system cleverly disguised as “nature” and foisted on people so that whether they “fight” for power and profits or for nature, they all fight against themselves. At a deeper level of observation it becomes clear that “nature” isn’t all “right” and man all “wrong.” The feral black cat, a creature of shadows created by both nature and man is an evil thing but not through any fault of its own. It’s the product of a twisted environment, but so is every predator.
By and large people believe there is nothing they can do about predation, in fact they’ve been conditioned to accept it as natural. There is a deep psychological reason for that which I can’t go into here. But think about this: what’s the relationship between predation and the need for Earthians to wear clothing to hide themselves; to disguise themselves from others in order to present a false front, or to blend in? If there’s a subject I have never been able to raise and have a real discussion on, it’s the one about public nudity. Where does the shame come from? Since little children don’t have it, we can safely assume it’s social conditioning. Why? What’s the “op” behind this conditioning?
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As always, you’ve raised crucial issues in a compelling and thoughtful way, Sha’Tara. Thank you ❤
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your poetry is a dear advancement
to poet’s past, Carol!
many interesting expressions
of animal groupings
in “An Exaltation of Larks” 🙂
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Thank you for your thoughtful comments, David. I just realized that I didn’t reply! I did, however, check out “An Exaltation of Larks” a fascinating resource. I appreciate the reference 🙂
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As ever Carol..wonderful words. You have a real talent as well as a marvellous brain. …. After seeing the local crows over the last few weeks dragging newly hatched pigeons from their nests and bashing their heads against the ridge tiles …. I rather prefer a ‘Murder of Crows’. I know, its what nature is and that’s what happens so the crows survive … funny old world, isn’t it ?
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments, Pat. The scene you describe is truly gruesome! It made me wonder about the old question of nature vs. nurture. Is it in crows’ (or feral cats’) nature to be such fearsome predators, or is it a result of our destruction of their habitat and way of life? I’m not sure I’ll ever know the answer, but I’m grateful you’ve made me think…
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