The River and the Crows
A poem by Karen Vail

The River and the Crows 

The path along the river is steeped in green.
The summer crows cast an alarm as I pass,
scolding me, an interloper.

Their sharp jibes only encourage me 
to eavesdrop on their conversation.
They speak my heart. I believed

they did not understand our kinship.
But, maybe they will, and welcome me as a sister.
I walk the river and revel in the belonging.

The river rolls on heedless of my presence.
Steady. Rock-bottomed. 
Just what I need.

The crows know it is a good place to be.
Solemn preachers sharing the Good News.
We are one congregation worshipping the water .

About the Author:

Karen Vail is a retired teacher, mother, grandmother and writer. She mostly loves playing with her one-year-old grandson but finds time to write some poetry while he naps. Her work has been published in a variety of journals and anthologies, including Poetry Breakfast, Art in the Time of CoVid, and Waco Cultural Arts Fest: WordFest Anthology. She resides with her husband in Flemington, NJ.

Poetry Breakfast is an online journal publishing poetry and short plays.
If you’d like your poems considered for publication visit our Poetry Submissions page.

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