Set me free why don't you mate

Caw, caw, caw, set me free. Please do!

What? Who’s that talking? Is it you?

Yes, me. Hear my plea, why don’t you set me free?

I’m a Raven. Dark corvid. What are you?

Me? I am human. How do you do!

Human? Where’s your humanity? Coo! Coo!

You stand there gawking at me in a cage?

Where’s your anger? Where’s your rage?

Anger? Rage? What can you mean?

You’re a Raven, a crow, you’re there to be seen.

Captured and captive and there to be viewed.

An item of interest, a figure of fun,

You flap and you squawk in your cage and your run.

This is a zoo mate, don’t give me no grief,

My visit is transitory, voyeuristic and brief.

I don’t give a fig for you plight and you pleas,

I’m only one punter not Attenborough. Perlease!

You bastard! You arsehole. Hey! Don’t turn your back.

I'm lucid, intelligent, a sage not a quack...

Well that may be so but I am no eco warrior.

Don’t try to guilt trip me or you’ll be the sorrier.

Bugger off then, why don't you? See if I care.

Alrighty, I will then, I'll just leave you there.

You do that, you moron, go get a nice coffee.

I don't care what you think, I don't give a toffee

See ya then!

 O ~ 0 ~ o ~

Inspired by a visit to the British Wildlife Centre in Lingfield Surrey in October 2023. The Raven pictured was doing a lot of cawing and I imagined having a conversation with it.