The Reaper
reap = to cut with a sickle, scythe or reaping machine; gather, harvest, pick. ~ Merriam-Webster
From the ghostly piny woods there emanated an unearthly, crypt-like silence. There were no bright choruses chanted from singing birds, nor were there quick rustlings in the secrets of the grass. All that existed was a deafening soundlessness soaked in the heavy scent of Death. It was fitting, then, that a wraith-like visitant should come to pass and perch atop an ancient wooden fence post. Its embodiment portrayed the very essence of demise that matched the mood of the sinister surroundings. The spirit-creature had come to harvest, and all fell quiet to its being there. The Reaper had arrived.
To witness a Great Gray Owl in a wild setting is a truly memorable experience. To gaze into the piercing eyes of that penetrating stare is not to be forgotten.
~ Anecdote and Great Gray Owl capture, The Reaper © Jerry L. Ferrara