We the Ravens

rewrite of former poem We are shiny sleek, black birds, don’t underestimate our wit, we are of the corvid family, the most "intelligent," We are passerines, the largest of their kind, 19,000 feet up sometimes – look and us you’ll find- For thirty years or more, we may fly upon this earth, weighing up to 4 1/2 pounds, but only an ounce or two at birth- We mimic other’s speech, and are among the smartest fowl, we’re clever and we’re shrewd, and like a wolf, can howl, A constable, a conspiracy, an unkindness – we’ve been called, teamlng together for take-downs, we often make larger prey fall- We make complex decisions, and love to frolic and play, even with 54 inch wing spans, we can do aerobatic tricks all day, We nest in desert rock cavities, or in tall forest conifer trees, and high up in beach cliff crevices, hanging out over the coastal seas- On land we take others’ food, that we’ve managed to cunningly seize, letting others do the hard work first, then taking what we please- In ancient times we fueled the myths, of symbols good and bad, and though we have a wide repertoire of calls, Our croaking may drive you mad……