I love crows. They are incredibly intelligent, curious animals, and I feel a certain kinship to them. Last spring, the first spring in our new house, I decided that I wanted to feed the crows and make friends with them. When befriending crows, it is not uncommon to find trinkets or even coins left in exchange for food, and I want that. I want winged friends who will barter with me.
So, I bought a huge bag of unsalted, in-shell peanuts and began tossing them into my garden every morning at exactly nine o’clock, ringing a bell to signal that the food was available. And they began to disappear. Someone was eating the peanuts. I watched diligently, and finally I found the culprits:
Blue jays.
Not crows, but blue jays. The bullies of the backyard birdfeeder.
But a blue jay won’t bully a crow. They’re bigger. Stronger. Smarter.
So, this spring, I’m going to try again. The neighbors probably gossip about me, and that’s okay, but I want that kinship with my beloved crows to grow. I want to be the neighborhood crow-lady. I want those trinkets, a sign of thanks from my bird friends.
And the rest of the neighbors will never know they’re missing out.
Stay tuned for more “Behind the Poem” entries throughout the month of April, and if you want a sneak peek at tomorrow’s poem, check my Patreon. (It’s free!)
Happy reading,
Sibyl