Crows in the Autumn Sky

Crows In The Autumn Sky is loosely based on my childhood experiences in the small town of Zion, Illinois during WWII. It's main focus is the love affair between me and Sam, a fast-talking, tail-pulling, ear-tweaking, let-me-sell-you-a-used-car pet crow. For one glorious summer and fall Sam and I hunted frogs, bullheads and crayfish in the local ditches and ponds. We went on bike rides with Sam perched like a noise hood ornament on my Chicago White Sox baseball cap. With his sharp eyes and nimble beak, Sam collected a treasure trove of ear rings, watches, roller skate keys, scarves and caps. A sociable bird, he considered me and most everyone in the neighborhood to be members of his flock, warning us of perceived dangers that hove into view. Animals and people who shouted and threw rocks. They could be teased and cussed at from the safety of a telephone line or a tree. But a danger Sam should have learned about from a mother crow, and did not learn from me, was the danger that stalked into our lives one crisp, November morn.