Poet's Corner

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Crows Gather Each Morning like Cambodian Elders

By Jill Jupen

Early each morning

the crows

gather around

and take turns

cawing at each other

like the Cambodian refugees

used to gather

in a tiny Vermont village

squatting in a semicircle

cawing loudly in turn

discussing the state

of their world, perhaps.

Or the difficulty

of raising chickens

in a government-sponsored

apartment while living

with small children

and old grandmothers,

everyone talking at once.

Jill Jupen lives in Vineyard Haven with her husband, many dogs, and lots of books.