Even though I do believe there was more to life than what could be explained by science, I nevertheless considered myself a very rational person. To think I had somehow been guided here by unseen forces was a concept I would consider with a large dose of skepticism.
Growing tired from the long hike and a full belly, I decided to call it a day, crawling into my sleeping bag. After adjusting my body into a comfortable position, I lay still, noticing how truly silent it was here. The fire had ceased its crackling; no other sound could be heard. The many nocturnal creatures normally awakened at sunset to announce their presence were strangely absent. Not a single chirp from either cricket or bird. Forcing myself to ignore the earlier strange feelings and the odd silence, I decided to get some sleep, thinking things would appear normal again with the rising sun.
The fading fire had been replaced by an inky darkness full of innumerable points of light, varying in brightness due to the type, size, and distance of their origin. I noted a few recognizable constellations as I lay in the utter silence, the barely visible silhouette of the high canyon walls giving me a sense of comfort and protection, but blocking a full view of the heavens.
I eventually drifted off to the slowly wheeling sky, tossing and turning, being jerked awake several times by a dream that seemed to contain a message. I fell asleep each time to the same vivid images, over and over, finally awakening to the sound of a single raven, cawing as it flew up the canyon. I watched its progress as it came into view, flying low until it reached my little encampment. It circled me a few times in the early morning light, its wings whistling as they worked to overcome gravity and gain the elevation required to clear the formidable walls of the canyon. With a final rattling staccato cawing, he disappeared over the ridge.
After having spent most of the last twenty four hours in a place devoid of any sound, the raven’s intrusion seemed an assault on the senses. As silence resumed, my dream surfaced into my conscious mind; a dream that had ended with a raven.
I thought this small excerpt from a novel I am currently working on would be a great lead in to my next watercolor. The raven has long been a bird of otherworldly and mysterious significance to cultures all over the world, and one of my favorites to observe.
Raven on a mesquite branch.
natureartlife 