As a member of Rave Reviews Book Club, I am proud to showcase several exceptional writers. All are members of the literary section of the club titled Rave Writers – International Society of Authors. RWISA.
Today I want to welcome Mary Adler with her poem Black Notes Beat.
BLACK NOTES BEAT
I have studied and observed crows for years, and the more I’ve learned about them, the more I admire their complex family and flock relationships. They are intelligent, create and use tools, and they teach their skills to other crows. As Rev. Henry Ward Beecher said, “If men had wings and bore black feathers, few of them would be clever enough to be crows.”
Over the years, I have told my family and friends more than they ever wanted to know about crows. One person said, after hearing the stories I told about them, that she stopped trying to run crows down with her car. (There is so much wrong with that statement, that I don’t know where to begin.)
During the non-nesting period of the year, crows gather at night to roost together, sometimes in flocks of thousands. They are stealthy and take a roundabout way to the roosting place. They have good reason to be wary. For decades, humans have killed them, even dynamiting their roosting places at night.
Like many natural creatures, they are good and bad, depending on your viewpoint, and not everyone appreciates their beauty. But I love to watch them streaming across the sky–one small group after another–as they return from foraging to join the flock. When they are together, those who have found a safe source of food will tell the others where it is. They share, but only within their own flock.
One evening, after watching them move across the sky, I wrote this:
Black Notes Beat
Black notes beat
Unfurling dusk
Across the bruising sky.
Quarter notes, half notes
Rise and fall.
Whole notes
Rest on treetops.
An arpeggio of eighth notes
Silently swirls,
Scribing a nocturne
in the fading light.
Softly they spill
to the nighttime roost:
Rustling,
murmuring,
settling,
hushed.
Now the still moment,
the last note fading,
No bows, no curtsies,
No fear of reviews.
They need no applause to perform their works.
Mary Adler
∼∼∼
Thank you for supporting this member along the WATCH “RWISA” WRITE Showcase Tour today! We ask that if you have enjoyed this member’s writing, please visit their Author Page on the RWISA site, where you can find more of their writing, along with their contact and social media links, if they’ve turned you into a fan.
We ask that you also check out their books in the RWISA or RRBC catalogs. Thanks, again, for your support and we hope that you will follow each member along this amazing tour of talent! Don’t forget to click the link below to learn more about this author:
Mary Adler RWISA Author Page
Fiction Favorites 
I enjoyed Mary’s poem, John.
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Thank you, Robbie.
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Thank you for your support, Robbie!
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I loved this poem and I’m fan of these birds:) Thanks for hosting, John.
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Me too, Denise. Thanks for the visit. 😊
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I am not surprised that you are a fan of crows, Denise. They speak to us. Thank you for your support.
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What a wonderful poem. Thanks for hosting Mary, John.
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Thank you, Jill
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Thank you, Jill for your lovely comment!
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Great poem and loved the info, Mary. Thanks for sharing, John.
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Thank you for the visit Mark. 😀
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I always enjoy your blogs.
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😊
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Thank you, Mark, for your support!
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You’re welcome.
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This is a fascinating post. I knew nothing about crows and now I want to know more. I love Mary’s beautiful poem. The ending, “the last note fading…”, brings me into silence. ♥
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Thank you for the visit, Gwen.
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Thank you, Gwen! I do love crows and there are always crows in my mystery books. Take care.
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This poem is a definite ‘Keeper’! Love it, Mary! Thanks for hosting, John… ♥♥
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Thank you for the visit and comment, Billy Ray.
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Hey, Billy Ray. I imagine crows can sometimes be a nuisance to you so I truly appreciate your kind words. 🙂
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John, thank you so much for hosting me and for your support. The lake in your banner photo is so enticing!
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Was a pleasure, Mary
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I found Mary’s insight into the Crows fascinating! The poem is expressive and ends on such a peaceful note. Thanks for hosting, John!
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Thank you, Jan. When I watch them fly away to their roosting place, I do feel peaceful. As if all’s right with the world. For that moment, anyway, and in that spot! 🙂
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Thanks for the visit, Jan
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Thanks for hosting, John!
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Thanks for the visit, Linda.
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Thank you, Linda!
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Mary, thank you for sharing your information about black birds. John, thank you for hosting.
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Thank you, Karen.
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Thank you, Karen.
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Mary, I love this piece! You are such an insightful person, and it shows here.
John, thank you for hosting.
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Thank you Rhani for stopping by and for your kind words.
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Thank you, Rhani.
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Thank you for hosting Mary, John. A lovely poem, Mary.
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Thank you for saying so, Miriam. 😊
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You’re welcome, John. 🙂
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Thank you, Miriam.
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I wish I could channel ten percent of Mary’s talent, John.
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Me too, Hook. She really has chops.
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That was truly lovely. Thank you for sharing, John.
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Thank you for reading, Dale,
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