Cleaning Up

A country road, a clutch of crows
And this is how it went:
They’d land right in the middle
With mysterious intent.

They’d hunt and peck until a car
Would come a bit too near,
Then they’d fly off and swoop back down
Right when the coast was clear.

Their new spot, though, was farther
Down the road from where they’d been
And then the hunt and peck routine
Would once again begin.

My husband figured out the cause,
For on that stretch of tar
Are critters squished beneath the wheels
Of every passing car.

So all those crows were cleaning up
The frogs, the slugs, the worms
That we would never notice
As we walk along the berms.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2020

Poem

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Leffanta Avatar
September 10, 2020 at 12:02 PM
Yet no one has trained crows to select what we want them to clean up! Plus a crow's nest is the last thing you would want on your roof! The noise and poop are unbelievable! Aloha! Rico
Watt Avatar
September 9, 2020 at 7:18 PM
A very important function they serve on the food chain! The teenage crow asked his mother what's for dinner. The mom replied, "Carrion, my wayward son".
Wolf Avatar
September 9, 2020 at 7:00 PM
Well, this is certainly one to crow about, Ilene! Interesting stuff about crows. Who would have known?! Watch the Birdie! ~ Gershon
Devonshire Avatar
September 9, 2020 at 2:57 PM
It sounds like the crows do the same thing as vultures when they clean up the "critters" on the road. You've probably had to wait for them to fly away before proceeding down the road. A very interesting "slice-of-life" poem, the kind at which you excel, Ilene. Best wishes, Carolyn
Hinshaw Avatar
September 9, 2020 at 2:21 PM
Strangely, crows are one of my favorite birds! Loved the wit in this write, Ilene! Did you know that a bunch of crows is also called a murder of crows? Bob
Bauer Avatar
September 9, 2020 at 3:26 PM
Hey Bob! Good to hear from you! Yes, I did know about a “murder” of crows (what a cool term!), but I needed a 1 syllable word and I liked the alliteration..
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