there are rather nice and well-developed urban linden trees just outside our university building. their upper branches are just opposite my department windows. a collective (the dictionary says, a murder) of crows take up their sleeping quarters in those branches every night. they do not look particularly murderous when asleep, i have to confess.
and so, i went into the staff-room in the evening, and the lights were out, and it was very dark inside. it was so dark that the unlit street outside was just night, not darkness, and the tree branches looked like patches of black against the almost-pitch of the street and the sky.
and on those lines of black one could see dark grey fluffy balls of the crows asleep.
the grey was so distinct in the darkness that is seemed to positively emit unlight, to shine with the non-lumination.
the crow bodies looked like large christmas decorations up in the trees, garlands of unlight, non-shining into the street of darkness. it was an awesome sight.
round. fluffy. cute. bodies of unlight.
so… appropriate for the time of the year.
I enjoyed reading that, and the pictures your writing evoked. I admire crows. Among the most intelligent of birds, and birds with “family values”.
aye. and they live so long.