Very... poetic. I like the way it moves; simple, yet deep. Paul Williams is good at what he does, and his writing speaks for itself. When a writer masters the art of making his works speak, that's when he becomes an author. Keep up the good work, Paul!

C.S.H.

THE CROW INCIDENT reads for me as a profound meditation on the dangers and possible consequences of apathy in the world. It also reminded me of a similar incident when I was getting in my car once and saw a crow attack a baby sparrow while other birds squawked in outrage around it. For some reason I got outraged myself and chased the crow away. But I didn't mean to go into all of that; just to say I really enjoyed the read. Peace-
Aberjhani

i was able to see and feel this poem quite effectively ... great write ...

This is happening in our own lives so many times too...right? One moment all okay then wham gone...so sad to come to think about it. But life goes on and tomorrow will bring another sad goodbye...just like the crow needs to survive so does it break anothers heart to let go. Powerful offering Chuckie...thanks for sharing this dark but excellent piece!!

Take care okay!!

Love Tinka

As a 'student' of crow behaviour, Paul, I love this!

I see crow behaviour entwined with me and you in your piece, combined with the understanding compassion of crow/human life, not Mars and Venus, but, life and death.

A beautiful read.

Erin Elizabeth Kelly-Moen

Quite a chilling ending, Paul - and glad to hear the ending was fiction.

Been watch Hitchcock again, have you? LOL. Loved this dark write, Paul. Your choice of language is right on! ~~Nordette

Kate needs to get out more: less movies...
Yup with a kid you just can't lapse for a split second..
I have crows in me garden most days, blimey they look like undertakers.
Though Crawley stands for Crow liegh.. You'll sleep for that... Hows Tinks? lol

The tragic death of children due to drowning is a vulture/crow on humanity's nest.And I bet they heard the toddler's screams
forever in their dreams and your poem screams a warning to us all.
(Keep eyes open.)Your top notch poem made its point perfectly as you drew perfect analogy between unobservant parents and the un-noticed scavenging between innocent birds.Deaths unseen.
How can it happen?Yet it does so often.Powerful poetry!

Aside from the obvious truth, that Mankind is short-sighted and self-centered, comes the secondary truth of, one kind - feeding off another...this is incredibly power-packed, Paul.

Just for the record, I had my own eyes opened by a similar event a few years ago. We had a huge old gnarled mulberry tree in our back yard, and one day as I was looking out the window, my eye caught a movement ...I grabbed the binoculars and gasped! There were 2 HUGE - and I do mean HUGE - crows who were in the process of pecking a mother opossum [who was carrying her young] to death! I don't much care for opossums either, but the TERROR in her eyes and that which was reflected by her stance! I called the fire department to see if they would help her out, but he assured me, it was best to let nature take its own course. I suppose he was right, but it was horrible watching the innocent be attacked like that...so my daughter and I and a few of my grandchildren made as much noise as we could, and threw stones, to keep those crows away, long enough for her to escape, but she was bloody, nonetheless, from those BIG BEASTIE CROWS literally pulling her flesh from her - while she was alive! It took ten full minutes of assailing the "crows" before they finally pulled out...It was surreal, like watching a demonic manifestation take place, to tell you the truth. The same tree had been hit by lightning, and then, in winter, a snow owl was feeding in the fork of two large branches, tearing a rabbit apart, with its steely talons!...the tree is now a stump.

What a rush this was to read! bless you, Paul ~ rhonda

We usually chose to ignore nature's more unpleasant courses. But, of course, offered and penned as wonderful as your poem, can't help but to admire it!
B&R

Ooooooooooo... I was running with this until ... the splash!! Eek! Mother's heart ripped to shreds here. Nature bein brutal is one thing but parental negligence another. I tell you, this really rattles my bars cos I was really, REALLY badly effected by the Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie film, "Don't Look Now", for some reason. Must have been the day, my hormones, or just the visual impact of the slo-mo "incident"... but the images still haunt me. Reckon I just need another Pimms to get me back on track... Thought you was talkin about me again with the old Crow... "What've I done now?", I thought? Now have a sudden need for chocs... Don't be surprised to find this review erased or severely edited when my sugar levels have recovered... Such a tranquil picture, too... Are you sure you're not Miss Marple? She has the nose and the knack for spotting all this mayhem amidst the mahonia...

Starkly dark, yes Paul. But this speaks of the "chaotic" and "wrongful" side of life on this planet. It will be thus until we are all reconciled with each other and with nature. Thank you for sharing this gift. Love and peace to you,

Regis

Oh man, this can have so many interpretations-emotional, spiritual, political. So much we miss, obsessing on one thing or becoming creatures of habit with a numbness that dulls our senses. And what do we lose? Those things most precious! Slipping from our hands either through a slow insidious drip or in an instant. This write
ROCKS! Consider yourself knighted, Sir Paul...

Lin

A mind stimulator and thought developer, "The Crow Incident" pays its dues to Poetry's treasure, and flows wisely through its grand imagery.

I have enjoyed the reading of this excellent writing of poetic wisdom.

Long healthy craetive life, Poet.


Andre Emmanuel Bendavi ben-YEHU

I always enjoy reading your poetry and this was another great one. Especially the lines which are all too true universally..

Not ten-paces from you did this take place,
blinded to brutal beauty is no bad thing,
it’s the way you missed it that’s a disgrace.

Paul
It pays to remain alert and vigilant...
Macabre tale with a sting in the tail...
Peter

Seems that both of us posted an in-your-face poem today, while mine is trashy and vulgar yours is more on the genteel side, although just as full of innocent death. At least the deaths in my little ditty wasn't all that innocent. LOL Nice bit of chastisment to the unwary crowd about the brutality of life.

Paul though dark and disturbing, it carries a warning and lesson for all! This is superb poetry! Even though you gave me the shudders to think of how often we only listen to our own voice,with blinders on!

Sorry Paul,but at least I had two of the letters right;-)hehe



eT

While all this was going on, one of the kids feel into the water???

Am I off?

This is chilling in a unique way, like a wake up call......the signs are all there.....and yet, we cannot see past our own noses

oh my
this leaves an impression for sure
pax A