She felt as though she would burst with joy... her body jerked convulsively as her mate fluttered above her. "Whe-e-e!" she squealed at him. "Do that some more, just like that--"

The two of them bounced, tumbling over, under, around each other, falling from one newly budding branch to another, blissful in their lovemaking.

Finally, breathless with love for her energetic and willing mate, and, filled with the moment, she looked up at the spring sky. High thin currents of unseen breezes stirred her feathers, wisping cleanly through their tree. She knew it was the perfect tree for their nest. She would place the nest just here! where she and he could quickly change places to warm the eggs, still within her, and now quickening into expanding life.

"Come!" she chirped happily to him. "Let's go find the first Piece for our nest," she called.

He finished the fourteenth verse of his Song of Glory, bounced a bit on what he'd already decided was going to be Lookout Point, puffed his chest and leapt high into the air, swooshing himself into a mad zoom just past her, coming to land on a branch that neatly bounced his feathered lust back up to her.

"Sure, sweet, but let's just do what we were doing for a little bit more?" He knew he would be able to change her mind, and yes, there! She was in position.

Something long and dark broke the clear light above him. His twittering stopped, so did hers. Together they shrank themselves back, down into quiet stillness.

I was sitting at a picnic table beneath this scenario. I saw them go still and quiet. When I looked up, high in the sky, I saw a black silhouette. The single crow was just out cruising, scanning for anything interesting.

He'd seen the lovers, all right, I was quite certain, because his casual flapping turned into a long slow sweep into a down angle, directly above the tree, their nest tree.

I knew crows were smart, and I guess this one might have those tendencies, too. He never so much as glanced at the two frightened youngsters huddled into the nesting place.

Give them time to nest and carefully place those yummy eggs where he could take his time and get breakfast for a couple of cycles.

And I watched as he finished his curve across the sky, settling himself high in the branches of the tallest tree, where he could watch.

The lovers could not hold back another second. "Shadows! That scared me so!" she trilled. "Here, sweet, I love you so much, do not be afraid..." His body was already filled with love, feeling the rightness of the moment, and he shouted out verse fifteen right then and there.

It was time for me to leave. Walking away, I sent the lovers a shield of protection from my mind, all the while knowing that it is usually best to merge quietly with the surroundings rather than interfere.

Let the scene play itself.


~ Judith Bailey ~

Copyright 2002