Turkey Vultures

If someone gets up with the birds, they do not
get up with the turkey vultures who sleep lateā€”
at least until the ground fog liftsā€”and then wait
like junks for the sun to warm the air and get it
moving. In our neighborhood, they squat
all night in the high limbs of a sycamore, and quit
these roosts awkwardly come morning, stepping
out into the air with one or two flaps, each oversized wing
working hard to prevent disaster. I read that silence
should not have to apologize to singing or talk
in a book on meditation, and, during a three-day walk
alone through the mountains last month, I met no one
so was quiet as a vulture. Mostly mute, they donā€™t mince
sounds, hissing or grunting only when supperā€™s begun.
A kettle settles, and for each bird the word is mum.

1 thought on “Turkey Vultures

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maximum of 400 words or 2000 characters.

Comments on Friendsjournal.org may be used in the Forum of the print magazine and may be edited for length and clarity.