Birds 

Birds sit on the lines
And rain falls
On the heads
of black birds 

Restless they move
One flies up
Two go below
Another moves left 

Flying up, moving down
Never settled
Birds shake
Shaking off the day

-J West 

On my way home, when the weather is chilly, there’s a strange occurrence. Birds.

For weeks, I’ve tried to capture the feeling, that awe, the wonder. I’ve written words into jagged poems. I videoed as I sat, waiting for the long light to change to green, yet I still fell short of the majesty I sensed. I wanted to share it.

It was Tulsa, Oklahoma, around 31st and Memorial Street, near a Cracker Barrel and McDonald’s. The birds, whether Starlings or Blackbirds, stayed for a couple of months and then moved elsewhere.

A Group of Birds trivia

Blackbirds – Cloud of blackbird

Ravens – Conspiracy of ravens

Constable of ravens

Unkindness of ravens

Starlings – Murmuration of starlings

https://blog.gardenwildlifedirect.co.uk/collective-nouns-for-birds/

This maneuver is beautiful and valuable. If there’s a predator, all fly swiftly away in unison. Synchronized movements may confuse the predator, making it difficult for them to single out an individual bird. What do you think?

I’m inspired by the black birds’ ability to come together and soar through the sky in perfect harmony.

Most of us have seen it. The number of these birds perched on the lines is often mesmerizing, like dark raindrops coating the electric lines. However, what truly captivates my attention is seeing them suddenly take flight, soaring through the sky in perfect formation.