Birth and Flight

Last month a lone dove settled on my windowsill and looked in on me one day like a schoolmarm checking on her pupil. She never seemed afraid even when I came really close. (See left). She began to sit there a lot. I mean for hours.Then one day when my son Michael was here from Brooklyn he saw her heaving her sleek little body, bringing up bits of digested food for the two bald and greasy-looking life forms who were feeding out of her mouth.Time passed. They little ones grew, as little ones will.Sometimes their dad visited, hoping for a little love maybe, in which case forget it, right girls, that soon post-delivery? Anyway he stayed far on the other side of the sill.More time passed. My, they grew quickly!And then this past Monday: Gone Baby Gone. So today I will lift the sash and sweep away a months’ worth of dirty-birdy-diapers and come next spring, hang out the Room to Rent sign. May they dip, and coo, feed and fly in all joy this summer ,and for as many more summers as are given them.