Poetry Pages

an amazing thing happened. Rena and Sarah and some of their friends were walking near the bowling alley when they noticed a bird in a ditch struggling to get out. Rena managed to get the bird out of the ditch but it didn't fly away and could barely hop. She called me and I went and picked them up. We examined the bird, a crow, and although it has obviously lost flight feathers on its right wing and there is some feather damage to the right breast area otherwise it appears to be fine. I think mostly it is exhausted from being stuck in the ditch and unable to fly or hop/climb out. We have an old cage that has been sitting in the garage collecting dust, so while Rena held the bird, loosely wrapped in a bath towel to keep it warm and secured, I cleaned up and assembled the cage. Sarah asked if we should take it to a vet, but the ones nearby that are open, all they will do is "humanely euthanize" wounded wild animals brought to them. When I told the girls, the response I got from Rena knocked me to the floor.

"But what if she's from mom?"

She is resting comfortably in the cage today. We hope she will recover enough for us to set her aflight again soon.

I'm so glad no one was sitting here while I read that. From smiling and gitty to tears in a lightning flash. Not bad ones though, but it would have been impossible to try to explain.

Thank you for sharing. Crows like cat food and birdseed. Ours also crack open walnuts by dropping them from the telephone wires onto the street so that cars will run over them.

I know you will take good care of the crow, and once it is fully healed it will either stay or fly away when you release it.

She died that night. We had a small ceremony, just the four of us, and laid her to rest in a corner of the flowerbed in the back yard. It was sad, but we gave her a safe place in which to spend her last hours, away from people and predators. I wish there had been more that we could have done for her ...

Then it was her time to go, and you have been honored to provide her with a safe warm bed in which to spend her last night. Birds are extremely fragile, and their hearts give out before the rest of the body is ready to go. I'm glad you gave her a place of honor in your garden and sent her off to the Great Raven with your best wishes and kindness.

"But what if she's from mom?"

How it warms my heart and thoughts to hear these words, Lisa. They must be teenagers, now, the sweethearts.
Life goes on, Time moves on, children grow. Sending love and hugs to you, Rena and Sarah, and to Jen, along with my
best friend for over 40 yrs., Kathy, who died from colon cancer last July. The ache doesn't go away, but sometimes wisdom
settles in to patch a small piece of the hole in the soul. May you and the girls enjoy happiness, wonder and joy as you
pass through the days of living-time.