Crow Haiku + Commentary

Originally written on March 11, 2022

Well, we’ve made it to another Friday and there’s a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. Today’s Haiku was inspired by the crows that come to the house every day looking for food (I work at home on Fridays).

Crows cawing outside.
Food scatters along the snow.
They caw thank you.

I have come to realize that crows are intelligent, social creatures. They interact with each other, alerting each other when their morning offering of food has been dropped. They started coming when lock-downs started during the pandemic — a gift that showed up during an otherwise bleak time during the pandemic. Crows often show their gratitude by leaving gifts — shiny things they have found here and there or other things they have found. But, for me, the ultimate gift they gave was showing up during a dark time and bringing daily light with their calls in my trees.

I have learned a lot from my daily visitors — that we need each other. Like the crows, who travel in social groups, we, too, need each other to survive. We are seeing that in the Ukrainian crisis, in the protests over anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. In both of these scenarios, people are coming together to support one another, to help each other literally survive.

No matter how different we are, we are all still people, creatures who roam this earth who need love, acceptance and a safe place to land.

I hope that whomever is reading this will consider how you are using your gifts and talents to be a safe place to land. If you are in a dark time in your life, reach out. There are many of us who are there, holding a candle for you.