A Murder of Crows: Wrestling with the Ambiguity of Life

Hmmm, should I root forthe Crow or the Blackbirds?

I was in the car on myway home earlier this week when I noticed several Blackbirds – most likelyStarlings and Redwings – chasing and harassing a Crow. It strikes an odd andsomewhat comic picture since Crows are about three times larger than the Blackbirds.

It is actually not anuncommon site. Crows, being omnivores, will eat other bird’s eggs or killnestlings and eat them if they get the chance. I once saw several Crows attackand kill a Robin. The Blackbirds are nesting now and a Crow in the vicinity isa threat.

It brought to mind anodd expression: A Murder of Crows.

It is a poeticexpression, meaning a flock of crows, which apparently dates back to the 15thcentury. The origin of the expression is uncertain but could be related to thefact the appearance of a Crow is viewed by some as an omen of death. I ratherlike the expression as it has multiple levels of meaning and sends my mind offon interesting tangents.

But back to the original story. The Crow tried to evade the Blackbirds at first but eventually settled on an electrical pole and made a stand. It was as if it was saying: Come at me now. I’ll take you out one at a time! The Blackbirds made a bit of a show of false bravado and then backed off since they are really not a match for a Crow one-on-one.

There are days when Iroot for the Blackbirds in this encounter – the little guys fighting backagainst the bully. On other days, I sympathize with the Crow. It is simplydoing what comes naturally to it and looking for a meal. It is the elementalstruggle of life on both ends.

Isn’t that a little bitlike life itself these days?

The world is acomplicated equation with often more ambiguity than clarity. It is difficult tofigure out where our loyalty should land from one day to the next. Perhaps thebest we can do is to live our life one day at a time and figure it out as wego.

I will admit that thisis not the most comforting of conclusions. But there is some equanimity to befound in learning to live with ambiguity. Life can seem less like an uphillbattle if we stop trying to reduce it to one plus one equals two.

I have a lot ofpracticing to do to get there. One day at a time, Michael. One day at a time.

~  Now Available Onlinefrom Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites ofPassage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

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