A large flock of crows works a wet, newly ploughed square of Perth County farmland in weather still cold enough to be winter. Milton Acorn’s speaker notices how deliberate their movements are — they fly in formation, scanning the ground as if following search patterns. Nothing about their purpose is hidden: they are looking for food, and they do it without complaint or anxiety, even though food is scarce. Their focus is so steady that finding something feels inevitable. That quiet confidence seems to stir the speaker’s respect, maybe even a touch of envy. The final line, about the crows paying neither taxes nor rent, turns them into figures of complete self-reliance. There is no sentimentality in this picture; the cold, the wet field, and the birds’ hunger are taken seriously. The mood is bracing and clear-eyed — cold air, dark birds, and purposeful work.
The Crows of Perth County — Summary
A flock of a hundred or more crows In echelons of three or four Were flying obvious search-patterns Over a square mile of wet, recently ploughed Country in Perth County, Ontario; In spring so cold you might still call it winter.
There was no missing the fact of Their intent to find what was to be found For their provision. Without lamenting The shortage of life's commodities, They looked for food with such sure diligence That discovery was a certainty; For which they would pay neither taxes or rent.