One of the most noteworthy Native American crow myths is that of the Rainbow Crow. According to this Lenape story, the crow did not always have black feathers or a hoarse cawing voice. Once, the crow was a vibrant bird with feathers in all of the colors of the rainbow. The crow was a beautiful singer and a kind soul. Because the crow was so kind, it risked everything to bring fire down from the heavens to the animals and people who were freezing on earth. In the process, crow inhaled smoke and lost his beautiful voice. The fire was so hot that crow’s feathers turned black as soot. In the end, crow chose selflessness over beauty.

Crow Symbolism & Meaning (+Totem, Spirit & Omens) – World Birds

Sea crows patrol our shores,
Specialists in the tidelines.
Shellfish are dropped from a perfect height
To break their shells but not their salty bodies.
Crows feast by day on sticky flesh
With dismal industry.

But, perhaps, at night crows return
To make from broken shells
Mosaics of an ancient world;
When their feathers were saturated with colour
And their song erupted with primal force,
Erotic and terrifying.