“The Cranes” by Peter Meinke appears to be a simple love story about an old couple reminiscing about their lives, but with a closer look the story reveals a darker component to love . The story follows an elderly couple's stop in the Gulf to watch some birds. While bird watching they spot two whooping cranes. During conversation and bird watching Meinke reveals details that pairs and cranes have in common. Therefore, the pair of whooping cranes seen by the couple in the story symbolizes both their rarity, eternal love, and their last moments together. The couple in the story is a couple who have been together for a long time and have persevered through life together. When they first see whooping cranes, the husband says "they're rare, there aren't many left" (196). This is the point in the story where the first connection between the couple and the cranes is made. The rarity of cranes symbolizes the rarity of the couple's relationship. Although they have begun to develop abnormalities in their health—with her husband "can't smoke, can't drink martinis, no coffee, no candy" (197) ¬—they are still able to laugh with each other and appreciate the beauty of nature. Their relationship is a real oddity; full of lasting love. However, this enduring love for whooping cranes has caused some problems for the species. Whooping cranes are “nearly extinct”; this reveals a problem in the couple. Even the rare love they have is almost extinct. The wife worries about her children because “the children never write” (197). This reveals the communication gap between the two generations, as well as the different values ​​between the generations. These different values ​​are a factor in the extinction of true love. Another similarity between whooping cranes and the couple is true and lasting love. Whooping cranes “mate for life and live a long time” (197), which is a rare trait in the animal kingdom. The cranes' commitment to each other mirrors the couples' commitment to each other; having remained together all those years. Despite difficulties in relationships, they have endured and stayed together while some couples may have given up on the relationship. Although their love lasted for many years, in the story it came to an end. Throughout the story the couple reminisce about their lives and as they do so there are some strange details sprinkled throughout..