Crows, jays, and ravens embody
the gastric spirit of the forest. Small,
insistent stomachs with sharp beaks,
they materialize from the pines,
calling, coughing, claiming. Nothing
will suffice or satisfy. Hunger
makes them cunning. They learn
all there is to know in search of breakfast.
(Jacob Lee Bachinger’s collection of poetry, Earth-cool, and Dirty, was published in 2021 by Radiant Press. He teaches Academic Writing at University of Lethbridge.)