Never Count Crow

Just behind the scrim of ordinary life, the notice rippled in the air. I heard the whispered warning; it was received and noted, recorded in lines of poetry that became insistent and mystifying. When does a person's death begin in a palpable way? The appointment is made, the clock is running. Although we are unaware of its progress, Death will not be denied. It is the remarkable person who, rising to a day full of plans and events, takes time to scan the skies, seeing the dark cloud forming on the horizon. Never Count Crow is a nonfiction account of one family's experience of a sudden death in their midst and the events that preceded and followed that death. The book attempts to illuminate for the reader a design of warning and support woven in the time around death for the eyes of the aware. The message of the book is that the mystical nature of a person's leave-taking is beautiful and hopeful, though weighted with tremendous heartache for those left behind. It offers suggestions of unseen but deeply felt connections to the spiritual domain that offer help in the healing process. Tracing actual events using original poetry and lyrical prose, the author shares an intimate experience of love and loss, and the reader comes to understand that every death is both a test and a gift in disguise. Never Count Crow warmly reconstitutes life in a small Maine town during the years of 1972-2004 and is filled with a cast of delightful characters, the state of Maine being one. The primary character, Eugene Morse Graves, lends the book his boundless energy and spirit. In the lives of this family, readers will recognize the sacredness of every interaction when seen through the lens of loss.