River of Crows

photo by Barbara Beck 2012

there’s a river
of crows
streaming
from Vancouver
to Burnaby
silhouetted black
against
a twilight blue sky
every day
at four o’clock

day’s work is done
streets are cleaned
turf beetles found
garbage checked over
and sorted

they fly
and follow
each other
eastward

then pause 
and rest 

on treetops
wires
street lights
and traffic lights
along the way

heads bobbing
wings flapping
they lift
and continue
east
to their roosting spots
high in treetops
along Still Creek
near Grandview
at Boundary 

all night 
clustered
protected
chattering about the day
companions
a social group

and in the morning
a commute back
to the east end
the west end
shaughnessy
main street
kits

they poke
and prod
and clean
the city

and then…
again …
at four o’clock
lift off
and return
to their
nightly roost



Colleen MacDonald 2007