No Harm, No Fowl

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Writer and WPLN contributor Craig Havighurst, opened his front door one Thanksgiving morning, heading out to catch an early flight, and on the front porch of his East Nashville home, there stood…a live turkey:

He was looking at me and he was really cute, and he looked like he wanted to communicate or something. He didn’t run away, he didn’t flap, he was standing on the second step of my front stoop and I just was dumbfounded.

And instead of running away, he actually tried to come toward me as if he wanted to get in the house. And I had to almost block him with my body like, “You know, we’re just getting to know each other, and I’m not sure that that’s the appropriate thing to do right now.”

Song: “I’ll See You in My Dreams” by Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler

And I thought, “This is really weird. Maybe I can help him. Maybe I—I dunno. But I, the turkey looked in my dining room window at me. He looked sort of wistful and sort of plaintive, I guess is the best word? And I just couldn’t get over this notion that he really seemed to be trying to get away from somebody.

Song: “I’ll See You in My Dreams” by Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler

Turkeys I think have a sense about what’s going to happen. You know, I think that he sort of knew. And had to find someone who was ready to take him in.

Song: “I’ll See You in My Dreams” by Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler

Jessie would have loved cavorting with a winged friend.

I did have this fantasy for many years later that if I hadn’t had to leave for the airport that I had a fenced in back yard, I had a very lovely border collie at the time named Jessie. And Jessie was a herding dog and she was bored out of her mind most of the time, because I didn’t have anything to herd. And I thought maybe I can take this turkey and name it Mike—I don’t know why that name occurred to me, but it was just clear as a bell to me that that turkey needed to be named Mike—and have a turkey in the back yard as a pet. I mean, it just felt like that could be perfect.

Song: “Tears” by Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler

But I went to the airport, you know, Mike wandered away, but I’ll always wonder what happened to him.

Song: “Tears” by Chet Atkins & Mark Knopfler

Craig Havighurst

Host: That was WPLN contributor Craig Havighurst. Tune in tomorrow for a story about a Thanksgiving dinner that made a lasting impression. On the ceiling.

WPLN’s Kim Green recorded and produced this Thanksgiving Day remembrance.

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