If I were a blackbird...

How many people like crows? Raise your hand! I'm one of them. And it's not because of a certain group's certain CD. I like crows and I would love to write a story where the crows are good and the ravens are bad for once! I've always liked them--no, I hate "Sing a Song of Sixpence"--and they're a lot of places in Seattle.

A summer day is not complete without several crows cawing. They may be scavengers, but they're a beautiful black if they just stick around on a power line. Okay, I've seen a lot of gross things that they eat, but I tend to ignore that.

One summer--it was the summer of 2004--there were tons of crow feathers running around. Huge ones, as though there was this big tail feather shed. And I picked them up and kept them--put them on my dresser, with one big white dove feather. I liked the crow feathers better, because of the color--I'm not partial to white. But I made them into a fan tied with a bit of ribbon. I used to wave it. That was a weird summer--in July there were about four or five people who died, and I sang in a choir and actually did a concert; in August, I had my first formal violin concert, saw Atwater-Donnelly for the second time, and spent a most wonderful time with my Grandma Stuart. In June, nothing much happened. But I think I'm getting to like performing. Mum says I'm a ham.

There are a few songs about crows or blackbirds that I know.

If I were a blackbird, could whistle and sing,
I'd follow the vessel that my true love sails in
And in the top rigging
I would there make my nest
And I'd flutter my wings on his lily white breast.

And then:

The blackest crow that ever flew
Would surely turn to white
If ever I proved false to you,
Bright day would turn to night
Bright day would turn to night, my love,
The elements would mourn
If ever I proved false to you, the seas would rage and burn.

Okay, so those just mention crows or blackbirds. I like them both, they've got nice tunes.

Here in Lone Valley there's no crows and few pigeons, just swallows.
Saro