Some of the best times Mom and I had
as she aged were picking up our weekly groceries
curbside and having hamburgers at Burger King.
It started during Covid.
She uses a walker to get around now,
and getting into and out of the car
has become a fairly major ordeal.
Luckily the car is comfortable and cool.
They built a new emergency health clinic
right in front of where we park for the groceries,
and we normally have a 10 minute wait.
Grackels, ravens and crows fly over to the fence
And look at us with their strange eyes
and head tilts. I read that crows remember
faces, so maybe they are being sociable
with us, and don’t understand our rudeness.
.
Perhaps I should get out sometime
and feed them something.
I do at Burger King. Mom loves the
Bacon King sandwich with its double meat.
Crows are omnivores, so we can break off
bits of the hamburger meat
and throw them out the window.
Ravens will grab the meat, too, and dart away.
I like to share what I eat with wild life.
Mom, not so much.
She’s of the old fashioned school of thought
when it comes to wild animals and their place.
The burger loving crows seem very unafraid.
They fly instantly to the fence by the car
and tilt their heads as if wondering
when the inevitable snacks will start.
They and the ravens are pretty saucy about walking
right up to the door, like they would like
an invitation to join us in the car
for lunch. Perhaps they do recognize us.
It’s a time of extended drought now.
Maybe I should start carrying a little dish
for water to help the birds wash down the meat.
Seems like the responsible thing to do.
