(Common Raven - photo by Neil Barker)
Thought and memory sometimes confused, which of these two are you?
Thought perhaps, but then you could be a memory of a thought.
Whichever one you are: thought or memory, you are here now.
This Common Raven was passing through a local conservation area that I hike regularly. I heard the “Gronk! Gronk!” before I saw the Raven. The gronk call set off the local American Crows in a bit of frenzy as they began cawing in annoyed reply.
There were a mated pair of Ravens that nested in this area for several years but have since vacated and moved elsewhere. I’m not sure why - perhaps annoyed at us people in the area or the Crows or something else. I miss seeing and hearing those Ravens.
Perhaps this Raven is one of the original Ravens that had nested in the area. Or maybe one of their offspring just passing through the area where they were raised. Either way, I hope this Raven passes through the area occasionally as a thought and memory of what once was.
Sijo Notes: I was inspired by the Old Norse myth of Huginn (“Thought”) and Muninn (“Memory.”)
Bird Notes:
The intriguing Common Raven has accompanied people around the Northern Hemisphere for centuries, following their wagons, sleds, sleighs, and hunting parties in hopes of a quick meal. Ravens are among the smartest of all birds, gaining a reputation for solving ever more complicated problems invented by ever more creative scientists. These big, sooty birds thrive among humans and in the back of beyond, stretching across the sky on easy, flowing wingbeats and filling the empty spaces with an echoing croak.