The Raven

As I fly high above the earth I see so many different things. I am a Raven so that’s what I do to get from place to place. As I look down I can see that there are so very many humans roaming around below, especially this time of the year. There are so many that a bird really doesn’t need to do much hunting, we just need to know how to get our food from the humans. The best place to get tons of food is the Yellowstone National Park. Which is where I started my life and most likely will end it. The humans here are easily swayed to give a bird some food; it's so easy it’s not really even a challenge. Unfortunately though they can also be slobs. They drop their leftovers or other trash out their windows as they drive down the road. It seems more and more often that is what more and more of them do. Even as a bird I wonder what is so hard about stowing your leftovers or trash until you come to a trash can, they are everywhere in the park. Truthfully, the food we do not mind seeing means a meal for us after all. We are more than happy to pick up after the sloppy humans when it comes to food. It keeps us fed pretty well during the height of the tourist season. The trash though that is ridiculous but don’t get me started on that though. I may not stop.

Take now for instance. There are hundreds of humans in the park at this very moment with hundreds more to come later in the day. So naturally all of us birds are heading to our designated turn off areas for food. Each morning just before sunrise, during tourist season, we all get together to split up the turn off areas. We make sure that no one gets the same area twice in a row as well. We do this so that every bird gets the same opportunity to get a good supply of food to eat since some areas are more popular than others and only fair to rotate.

Today it’s my turn to head to one of the less visited areas of the park but I don’t mind. When there are only a few humans it’s easier for me to play to the crowd so to speak. It’s a lovely June day so there will be plenty of humans stopping at my spot throughout the day. The whole park has dozens of these stopping points and each one gets visited at some point every day. The beauty of the whole park draws humans from all over to it everyday when it’s half way decent outside. It can take the humans a full day to get through even a quarter of the park with everything there is to see. When I was just a juvenile I found myself in awe of the park on my first real journey out of the nest, truthfully I’m still in awe of the park and there isn't a day that goes by that I’m not amazed by its beauty.

I remember on one such day, at the absolutely beautiful stop I’m headed to now. A couple had stopped, drawn in by the beauty of the nearby mountains, trees, emerald green grass and the hot springs running through the area. They had been a nice couple, they had given me some of their bread, in small pieces of course, and even broke up some crackers for me. As I was leaning forward eating the crumbs the female had started taking my picture. Wanting to thank the couple I had jumped up on a fence post the park rangers had placed round the park at some of the more dangerous or delicate places. To my delight the couple had been in awe of me and taken tons more pictures. So I kept getting closer and closer so that the female could take even better pictures of me. As I stood still posing for the numerous pictures I had heard the female say that if I was her bird she would name me Poe after Edgar Allen Poe who had written a story called The Raven. From that day on my name would be Poe. I hadn’t had one before then and well I liked the sound of Poe so Poe it will be.

Over the years this is how us birds got our names. If there was a particular word or name that a human said in a bird’s presence or called them that we liked then that was the one we chose. I have heard many, many names that my fellow birds have chosen from the human world and while some have been nice others well they are a little strange but in the end all that matters is that the birds liked their names. Choosing the name you want to be called is a very personal and important thing for each bird so it only matters to that bird.

Today I am headed to the same spot I had visited the day I got my name. Each time I go I wish I could see that couple again. I have yet to see them but I hope that one day I will see them again. I’m not sure how long it’s actually been since I saw them last but I feel like it’s been a very long time.

As I soar high above I see something that makes me happy. I see my fellow birds hopping around in various areas getting food and possibly names for those that haven’t one yet. The humans are always so kind to me and my fellow birds by feeding us. I know the park officials don’t want the humans to feed the birds or any other animal but they can’t seem to help themselves. From actively giving the food to “dropping” the food on purpose or on accident they still find a way to feed us.

I’m almost to my spot when I see a lone car parked in the area and to my delight there is a dark haired female standing beside the car looking up at the sky as if she is looking for something or someone. I quickly dive down and gracefully land on the fence post. When I look towards the female I am happy to see that it is in fact the same female that had given me my name oh so long ago and with her is her mate. Seeing them both makes me so happy.

The female exclaims happily, “Look honey. It’s our Poe. He's come to visit us again.” She happily snaps picture after picture of me as she listens to her mate’s response, well she’s wrapped up in me so she might not even really hear his response.

The male looks over at Poe and smiles before replying, “So he has my love.” Then to Poe he says, “Hello Poe it is good to see you again.” Then he leans against the car to watch his mate take my picture smiling even brighter as he watches her enjoying herself.

I pose for my pictures happily and when the female is done I happily accept the bread crumbs and bit of cracker she offers me. I will forever remember their kindness in giving me food, not to mention my name. I plan on letting the other birds know that if they spot the pair in the future to let me know so that I can make sure to visit them again. I don’t want to miss them if they come back to the park.

When I finish my meal I sit on the post nearest the female and watch her watch me. She seems to still be in awe of me. I even heard her tell her mate that I am the most amazing, beautiful bird she’s ever seen. If I could smile I would so instead I opened my beak slightly to show my happiness and that's enough for me. It’s the best I can do with no human mouth or lips and as I thought she would, she took a few pictures of me doing this as well. After taking more pictures she moves to sit in her car to watch me. That must mean they are getting ready to leave. It seems like they just got here. While I am a little sad I know that there is lots to see in the park but maybe I’ll see them again before they leave.

Finally after a little more time the couple does leave telling me that they hope to see me again soon. The female looks over at me from their car and says, “It was so wonderful to see you again Poe. I will miss you while we’re gone.” Then she ducks back in the car and they drive away.

I know that truthfully they cannot tell me apart from the other Ravens but I will always know them from the other humans when they come to visit me again. I am so happy to have gotten to see them so I decided to leave then and there to fly home to stay for the rest of the day. I am full with what food I have already gotten and truthfully happy all the way around from seeing them so I need nothing more today.

When I arrived back at my nest I gently placed a small glittery heart the female gave me just before they left. At first I had not seen the little heart but then as I watched them leave a little sparkle caught my eye. Laying on one of the posts near where the car had been parked was the little sparkling heart. I was so happy to see the little heart, I picked it up to take to my nest so I could keep it close to me as a way to remember the couple. I will make sure I always carry the little heart with me from nest to nest and place to place.

Time flies for me after that, yes even I can hear the pun in that statement. Before I know it winter is on the horizon and I must begin preparing for it. During the winter months it can get very cold and snowy in Yellowstone so the visitors are few and far between. Not many humans like the cold and truthfully I don't blame them one bit. I don't like it too much myself and while I don't fly south like some birds do for warmer climes I do travel a little south when the food supply gets too low or it just gets too cold for me.

When winter does settle into the park I soon discover that I must travel a little ways or risk starvation and frostbite, if birds can even get that. It isn’t far into winter but this one seems to have come sooner than usual and hit twice as hard. There are hundreds of other birds of all kinds flying south to get warmer and where the food supply is easier to locate. I won’t travel far outside the park but it will be far enough for me to find food. I travel where humans are more prevalent thus ensuring more food.

As I fly I remember my favorite humans and smile, assuming I can smile, it feels like a smile to me so that’s all that matters. I give my left claw a little shake so I can feel the little heart they had given me. I take it with me everywhere. It makes me feel happy and safe to have it, not to mention hopeful. I can’t wait to see my humans again. My humans, I like that thought.

I just know that one day I will see them again and that day will be a very good day.