(This may be my craziest poem that I have written yet, Or perhaps…there is a lesson in this…for you to get ?) Nature is a good teacher…if we stop long enough to watch it, I learned something once…and it is something that I’m willing to bet, Is a valid point to be made known…One I know I won’t forget. (Ever thought that somethings are set in stone...when they're not set?) It deals with keeping our eye out and being aware of our adversary, An instinct that we don’t naturally have…through normal human heredity. But one that is engrained into each animal on this planet from God, If you want to skip this poem, Class. I’ll let you move on…I won’t ask “Why” or prod. Some of you've noticed: Animals got above average sensory perception...that's hardly ever wrong... Others could care less…and on this topic…they would rather just move along. So, I’ll make my point or at least try in every way, To see if you experience…what I did…One day! A day not too long ago…the time is not important. I was told a fact that was so minute’…I did not heed or warrant. A silly thing, which I shrugged off, because I thought my bird dog would not allow, Dry dog food left out on the porch was taken by scavenger crows; It seemed silly anyhow. So…I kept right on-a feeding my Labrador Retriever outside in his bowl…anyway, And, he was letting those dumb birds steal his dry dog food…I’m sorry to say! We probably went through many dog food bags back then…real quick, ‘Cause it took a while for me to catch on…and witness their little trick. Then one day…at this house I was staying... A crow stared me down, from out on the porch…and he wasn’t playin’. He strutted across that porch, and grabbed his mark, acting as though…oblivious to me. He had made the first chess move…it occurred to me…“a lightning quick grab”…was his strategy, As I sat there at a table eating cereal from a bowl, I thought to myself…“That bird does that again; He’s going to pay a hefty toll!” It wasn’t but a minute or two later…that bird…took me further on to school, He landed nearby on the porch railing…and started playing it very cool… I yelled at him from that table, “Boy…Stay away from that food!” He turned his head…faked a turn, swooped down, Scored!...then flew away for good. Objective accomplished by that sneaky bird…and in a simple instant, Now it was Crow: 2, Me: Zero; But then, the bird went…and got arrogant. He came back, landed a few feet away from that dog food, like it was a gift with a bow! How he knew… I wasn’t going to get him then…I don’t think I’ll ever know. If I’d had my .22 rifle in hand…I would have parted his feathers right at his neck, When I jumped up from the table…he didn’t budge… I’m thinking, “What the heck?” I ran up to the sliding glass door to “shoo” this thing away, That’s when this bird stood his ground…and made his final play. Instead of running…that ol’ bird cocked his head…and gave me the evil eye, Got to admit…that thing was pretty brave…mighty crafty…and fairly spry! It was though he knew…better than I…that the sliding glass door was jammed, As I banged more on the glass...and yelled again…But…this was all going as he planned. He stared me down…then grabbed one more piece of a dog food nugget…“To-Go”, Faster then I could get to another door...and get outside…He had me beat…I was too slow! Well that’s it…that bird sure did some teaching... Nature has a quiet way...of swiftly preachin’! I wonder, even now, if that bird had studied the layout, and knew that door did not open, Was it luck on his part…What about that stare…Would he try that same trick…again? Was he that keenly aware of his surroundings; Did I fall into the plan of that crow? Guess that cocky ‘ol bird knew what to do…Who’d ‘of ever thought or could know? I don’t think I’m over or understating his results with too many speculative fears. After all, you should’ve seen the look he gave, and that door had been broke for years! The Moral to this Lesson…is not simple nor is it absurd, I was taken down...fell right into the trap...of a very skillful bird. The bird had completed his task...content with belly full... All the while I thought I had the upper hand...that thing had targeted me to school. (That bird flew away laughing...while I stood at the glass...screaming at it like a fool!) It’s funny how…I thought I had it all figured out…like this world’s so simple…anyway! (But, I trained my dog to chase crows...not squirrels...then let him “audible” the next play.) This concludes our Lesson on Nature and all its’ ways…Class…For Today... Hope you enjoyed some “Bird-Brained” Wisdom…that’s all I’m trying to say!
*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>*>
This poem is dedicated to “Intelligent Life…Wherever it can be found"! (Smart Crow, ’91) Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved
The Lesson of the Smart Crow...
And the Dry Dog Food.
"Intelligence...Is Where You Find It!" Sincerely, Manly Poetry Man