Almanac Poetry: My Raven
Head of Raven. [Source: Wikimedia Commons.]
My Raven
In the middle of a nightmare,
during a troubled time,
a raven settled on my arm;
enormous, majestic,
black sheen violet-shot.
With a gentle squeeze of his giant claws,
he cawed into my ear.
For weeks, I didn’t comprehend
his other-worldly message
until, one day,
it dawned on me:
‘Survive.’
(Acknowledgement: poem previously published in Lionheart Summer, Picaro Press, 2011; reprinted by Ginninderra Press, South Australia, 2018.)
Read more from Kevin Densley HERE
Kevin Densley’s latest poetry collection, Sacredly Profane, is available HERE
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About
Kevin Densley is a graduate of both Deakin University and The University of Melbourne. He has taught writing and literature in numerous Victorian universities and TAFES. He is a poet and writer-in-general. His sixth book-length poetry collection, Isle Full of Noises, was published in early 2026 by Ginninderra Press. He is also the co-author of ten play collections for young people, as well as a multi Green Room Award nominated play, Last Chance Gas, published by Currency Press. Other writing includes screenplays for educational films.
Profound. Made me pause & reflect. Thanks KD.
Thanks, PB.
To me, the image of a raven is a powerful one. These birds – and birds in general – often seem to be messengers, too.
Birds’ messages can be simple, for example, their appearance may tell you that a new time or season of the year has arrived, or, as in the case of my poem, the message is conveyed symbolically in the context of a dream.
Some good advice there KD; a bit better than Poe’s “nevermore” or Dylan’s “at my window with a broken wing”.
Thanks, DB.
Your references are interesting, too.
Speaking of references, KD, one of the DB’s is in the same ballpark as mine was via our emails…if that helps!
Ah yes, JL – I’ll get back to you on that one! Though of course I know the ‘Nevermore’ bit comes from Poe’s ‘The Raven’ (which I’ve always liked but haven’t re-read for ages). Also, I’m aware that the Dylan raven reference is from ‘Love Minus Zero/No Limit’.