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.