Polite Turkeys

Photo by Monica McHenney

These turkeys were not plump. Their tail feathers didn’t fan behind them like traditional Thanksgiving birds in a children’s art project. I didn’t detect a red wattle around their necks. The ladies flock, soft spoken and prim. They make me question the news stories about grumpy, aggressive turkeys.

A mob of turkeys, a gang of turkeys, some turkeys might be felons, but not all of them. They’re not all alike anymore than people are all alike. It’s our diversity that saves us. I’d like to think so anyway. Still, we have a tendency to flock together, we birds of a feather.

Owl

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

It was dark when I opened the door for the dog to go out. A few minutes later, the silhouette of a Great Horned Owl appeared, silent on the phone wire. No wing beats announced it. The markings, bars, eye rings, all were obscured by night. Only the size and the tufted ears gave it away.

The owl looked down as Kohnan walked into the open back yard. I followed, worried the dog might look appetizing. I called to him. He had no fear, but I’m a coward. I grabbed him, pulled to get him inside while he squirmed, insulted.

The Magic Diaspora

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Dressed for travel, carpet bags packed, the Little People gathered around Granny Ellen’s grave. Saddened by Granny’s death, they knew that not a one of the village folk could take her place. She was the last of the elf whisperers. She spoke for nature. The elves reckoned the time for talk was past and the time for action too far in the future.

Gaia was resigned. The elves were united. Earth’s people had ignored drying trees, tolerated the stinky air and the murky water. Gaia summoned the Milky Way to make a staircase and the elves set off for home.