The Calling of the Crows by Sandy Hiss

Black crows cawed and flitted atop the roof.

“Those damn birds!” shouted Giovanni,

“I wish they would find elsewhere to perch!

This home is not a sanctuary for birds!”

His wife Paloma peeked quietly at him

from behind black rimmed glasses and grinned;

she had witnessed this conversation far too often

but it always amused her to see the birds win.

How she longed to be just like them,

to soar above the seas and fly away on a whim.

To wear a beautiful coat of black feathers

and not apologize for anything whatsoever.

Giovanni had broken her wings years ago;

his temper flaring when he didn’t get his way.

She never knew what it was like to fly solo

for he never left her alone without a chaperone.

Days passed by giving way unto nights,

in the darkness she dreamt of the crows.

They were cackling and calling her name,

“Fly away Paloma, your house is not a home.”

A month passed and the crows were nowhere to be seen.

Giovanni laughed with glee…he was finally free.

Far away, Paloma cawed and excitedly spread her wings.
Yes indeed…she too was finally free.

Sandy Hiss has always been intrigued by haunted houses, ancient cemeteries, forests, gardens, and abandoned buildings. She currently resides in Southern California with her husband and two children.