So on an empty city street right after sunrise the raven had found an open public dumpster and decided to enjoy the moment. I stayed there with my dog watching them -- one would go in, while the other 2 or 3 would keep an eye on me and my dog. They found little to eat in there, as most of the trash seemed paper goods including soda cups that one raven seemed to enjoy tasting whatever was left in them.
And just when my dog was getting impatient and I decided to move, as if to tell me something about Carpe Diem, one raven went in, came out with a toilet paper roll and let it unfold like an ancient scroll! It did so meticulously by puncturing the paper at equal intervals and pulling it forward. These punctures can be clearly seen on the photo. And throughout this process the rest of the raven seemed to laugh through their cawing and calling....
So that was my moment. Soon a city worker will clean up the mess, some people will walk their dogs and the raven will retire to their high perches in the cottonwood trees. The future will thus be predictable and boring.
But I had this moment and cherished it. Like many I was lucky to have which somehow would have lost their charm and grace if these moments had had a future. Trains do not use the train station for parking -- eventually the rails call for travel.
But after so many years, I wonder what stays in us -- the travel or intimacy of the train station.
September 26, 2020
©
Vahé A. Kazandjian, 2020
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