Crows Poem by Paul Geiger

The Carrion Crow

Crows abound in the neighborhood and around the yard. Often in early morning a great, noisy caw-fest occurs. 

A carrion crow
sat on an oak, fol de rid-
dle, lol de riddle…

Only tiny oaks sprout here and there, as planted by industrious blue jays. Crows sit in the neighbors' incense cedar, redwoods and other miscellaneous, unlooked-after bushes. 

Watching a taylor
Shape his cloak; Sing heigh-ho the
carrion crow, fol…

Crows are very smart, it's known. They can pick latches, love to collect small shiny objects and are good thieves. 

Wife bring me my old,
bent bow, fol de riddle, lol
De riddle, hi ding…

Crows in this neighborhood are urban crows. It may be this makes them smarter than their country cousins. Nevertheless they are well nourished and sleek for living on the city streets. 

That I may shoot
Yon carrion crow; sing heigh-
Ho, the carrion…

Crows often crack a walnut by dropping it repeatedly from a street light standard. There's an instance in town where a house down-spout was clogged with too many shells. A crow or crows opened nuts while on the roof.

The Taylor he shot
And missed his mark, fol de rid-
dle, lol de riddle…

A crow across town enjoyed a left-over, smashed-flat-in-a-parking lot, bag of French-fry and hamburger leavings; held the paper down with a foot and picked it clean.

And shot his old sow 
Quite through the heart; sing heigh-ho
The carrion crow,

Fol-de-riddle, lol de riddle, hi ding do.

Wife bring brandy—in
A spoon for our old sow is
In a swoon! Heigh-ho…