To celebrate National Poetry Month, The Poetry Box is sharing a Poem-of-the-Day, selected from various anthologies and individual poet collections that we have published over the years.
Please enjoy today’s selection: “What the Crows Have Taught Me” by Donna McLaughlin Schwender, which appears in Poeming Pigeons: Poems about Birds:
What the Crows Have Taught Me
Don’t be in such a hurry
to distance yourself from your family.
Finding a lifelong mate
really is possible.
Be faithful to your own flock,
but never hesitate to help others in need.
Stand up to bullies,
regardless of their size.
Being part of a murder
can be a good thing.
Take turns being the lookout
for those you love.
When communicating, keep it simple
and be loud enough for others to hear you the first time.
Heed the warning calls
of those you trust.
Being called an old crow
is actually a compliment.
Black really is beautiful
in every form.
Life is a balance of being grounded
and knowing when to take flight.
Being big-boned
doesn’t impede one’s ability to fly.
The width of your wingspan
doesn’t determine how far you’ll travel in life.
Don’t be afraid to change course,
even if it’s at the last second.
Fly,
even if you don’t excel at soaring.
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise –
hopping is a legitimate mode of transportation.
Sometimes,
strutting is required.
If a tool you need doesn’t exist,
be resourceful and create one.
Never underestimate
the intelligence of others.
Accept handouts graciously
and share the bounty.
Stop being wasteful –
eat the damn leftovers!
And above all else,
always carry your wishbone close to your heart.
