Doves Poem by Mark Nichols

Ba coo
Ba coo

She & I have been committed over the years
Almost fifteen years
Not married, just boyfriend/girlfriend
Committed
To a non-monogamous relationship
I know you want to hear all about that
But let me just say
It's been great
Not a lot of **ckin'
But certainly a whole lot a talkin'

The good kind of talkin'
And it's always made us closer
Honestly
Why would I lie?

We're home bodies really
Two birds
In a big scary city
Not a lot of friends to tell you the truth

Roeko coo kurr rou rou gu gu
Guru guru burukk uuu grl-grl
Cucurrucu oo ho oo ho

Coo coo

Nowadays we walk silently from the car to the front door
Because they are so nervous
We've scared them off before
Maybe this year will be different
We made the mistake last year
In hindsight it seems laughable
Of putting the feeder right next to their house
Which drew the fierce jays
We were sort of overeager i guess

I've learned about these birds since then
Apparently, they stay paired
And have one child raised to maturity
Twice a year
It makes so much sense!
Love birds
Birds of attachment
Commitment
Tender-hearted
It made so much sense when I learned
That they have on only child
Who waits lonely for them
Because like all young parents
They are often gone

Almost like a sign they laid a single egg in February
On the crook of the tree, which rolled off and broke on the ground
We redid the bird house
Washed it out
Unoccupied for three years
Dumped the old nest, even started a new one for them
And connected it back up
With renewed enthusiasm for not scaring them off

We waited, hearing coo coos
Early morning
Peeking over the covers
She looks at me hopefully
Maybe they'll stay

And they did.

We knew they'd laid another egg
One at a time they'd sit on the egg
Like Seuss's Gertrude McFudd or was it Horton
They'd sit, but take turns
Very orderly
We wondered where they'd go
To feed themselves for sure
But would they also galavant
Tristes? Soires?
After all Columbidae
Like Columbine was a cheater, you know, right?
Cheated with Peirrot with Harlequin constantly
Immortally and archetypally
The dove's away the doves will play?
Eh, Probably not
Probably just eating and keeping watch
Quietly on a distant branch
You take nest, I'll take Birdseye
See you in a couple of hours
Ok

We keep house
See you in a couple of hours
She laughs
I wonder
Ok

Why are doves so committed to their mate?
Did I say it's because they are born lonely