I Feed Crows

William Farley

“I enjoy feeding the crows.”

The person hearing my decree turns toward me. “You shouldn’t feed the crows. They just take advantage of people’s good nature.”

The comment lands between us with a thud. For a moment I think, What a strange thing to say. I wonder, silently, where does that perspective come from? Then I hear what is being spoken behind the words: this is how life feels to him.

We all stumble forward, carrying a low-grade discontent that rambles beneath our breath. Half-remembered lyrics set the tempo of the day. The melody continues—carried by the many and the few. It is easy to complain about the weather, or the game, even when it is not raining on our parade. We forget that not everything is a threat.

I wonder what might happen if, for a single breath, we set our rehearsed grievances down. Just for a moment. What if we unclench our fist and release what does not quite fit?

Don’t fret. You can always have your discomfort back. Just let your awareness slip away and—voilà—the old disdain returns, ready to provide the same dissatisfactions you have always entertained. We create our own flow, that’s how it goes.

William Farley copyright 2026