Crow's Fall

When Crow was white he decided the sun was too white. He decided it glared much too whitely. He decided to attack it and defeat it. He got his strength up flush and in full glitter. He clawed and fluffed his rage up. He aimed his beak direct at the sun's centre. He laughed himself to the centre of himself And attacked. At his battle cry trees grew suddenly old, Shadows flattened. But the sun brightened— It brightened, and Crow returned charred black. He opened his mouth but what came out was charred black. "Up there," he managed, "Where white is black and black is white, I won."

narrative poem

Crow's Fall - meaning Summary

Defeat Recast as Victory

The poem presents Crow's transformation from white to black as the result of a proud, impossible attack on the sun. Crow treats the sun's brightness as an enemy and returns burned, yet claims victory by reversing the meanings of white and black. The ending suggests that defeat can be denied through self-serving language, while violence leaves a permanent mark.

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