The Raven

Jan 31 2012

According to a reliable source

Charles Dickens kept a raven

as a beloved pet.

I have long regarded the raven

as my totemic animal,

so I am impressed.

That the great man

was also fond of them.

That Poe’s iconic poem

may have been provoked

by this exact bird.

But I would never keep a raven

captive.

Too intelligent an animal

to confine to its perch,

when it should be out

making mischief  —

sliding down rooftops

tormenting dogs,

keeping watch, on walkers

too oblivious to stop,

caustic comments dropping down

on top of them.

In winter

a raven’s spectacular blackness

is even more defiant.

It is an outcast

strutting on high-tension wires, perilous eaves,

ice-crusted branches

skeletal trees.

Inspiring writers

who capture its essence

in free-fall, and flight.

Who understand

that held, even lightly

the beauty will die.