They Have Returned Poem by Susan Williams
They Have Returned
.
They have returned
I thought they had left
I thought they'd gone for good
and taken their darkness with them.
But that murder of crows
more now than ever before
are gathering and landing
in the vase-shaped tree across the street
where once upon a time a long time ago
the lonely figure of a girl waited the return of her love
and perching there on almost every branch of that vase-shaped tree
they ruffle their inky black feathers and hunch their shoulders
and stare and glare into my picture window
hour after hour they glare and they stare with their malicious black eyes
and bob their heads once then twice
before they rise
rise a dark and unhealthy cloud in the sky
and come swooping and diving across the street and
circle my big fir tree once twice thrice
before sending a squadron winging dark ominous shadows across the lawn
to threaten my porch and its empty winter chairs
and my peace and my quiet life here
and around and around they swirl like an evil wind
and doing their fly-bys they stare and glare into my windows
with their black malevolent eyes they spy on me
and they spin on the tips of their wings and fly by again
cawing and threatening and mocking
before they leisurely return to the vase-shaped tree and landing
each and every one of them on each and every one of its branches
they stare at my home and at me behind the window
the large and so breakable window
with their eyes beady and dark
and hours pass
and they are still there
ruffling their inky black feathers and hunching their shoulders
and staring and glaring into my picture window
hour after hour they perch there in that tree
where once upon a time the lonely figure of a girl waited the return of her love
and they mock and they glare and they stare with their malicious black eyes
and bob their heads once then twice
.
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~© susan williams February 8,2020
I can sense these murder of crows wheeling and whirling around, orbiting and revolving, cawing, screeching and yawping like locusts let loose creating such pandemonium with their cacophonous and tumultuous sound, destroying our calm. The repetition of certain lines give an added effect to the poem. It suggests something ominous to the serene spot where a girl once waited for her lover. Top marks!
Goodness gracious, you should have written this poem! ! ! You made those crows come vividly alive! ! ! Thank you for remarking on how the repetition affected you.
We want to go away from fear- make ourselves free from dark thoughts - When we think we are at peace in our loneliness, the dark thoughts raise their ugly heads- -A very powerful poem dear Susan Williams- The imagery you used, the expression and words have their desired effect on readers literally and figuratively.
My friend, Robert! I see them flying the skies over the high school and lurking on the telephone lines and harassing the squirrel gathering his nuts- -maybe I would like them better if they hadn't been raiding the sparrows' nests and eating their young! ! ! Thank you for visiting! ! You're welcome to take a crow home with you! !
Cool! ! ! ! I am particularly fond of these lines too, Soran
Soran, Wow! ! ! What a nice comment! ! ! ! Thank you for the 10 and for that nice niche on your fav shelf of poetry! !
Soran- -I'm glad these particular lines attracted your attention! ! !
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/23/2024 3:32:54 AM # 1.0.0.1119
They have returned with all the evil and ugliness of life. I can't stop linking together the feelings expressed here and what is going on in todays world. Evil seems to reign...... Ecellent poem Susan. Repetition in last lines so powerful.
Thank you, Savita. I am pleased that you linked this poem to the disturbing world around us. I think the better we write the more people can find commonality with our poems. Unfortunately, with this poem the commonality is with evil and darkness. Thank you for noting the repetition- I wondered if it would work.