Near the two-lane’s center stripe, I saw him;
His lifelong mate, lifeless, lay nearby.
Staid stood he, at my coming;
Her recently-stilled breast faced the sky.
Still, save for feathers slightly ruffled;
By the breeze, enveloping a sigh.
His grim mourning filled the spirit realm;
Deeply felt, while carefully, I crept by.
His eyes, a window to bereavement;
Her color, mottled gray, except the chest,
Added cream, perhaps would best describe.
All with dismal loss, will sometime wrest.
The enemy comes not, but for killing;
Delighting if his appearing takes the best.
Late return, I found her mate still standing,
The evening would bring his heart no rest.
Dove photo by Tina Nord, https://www.pexels.com
Dove Update 5/14/2021
Went to town and back 24 hours later than yesterday.
Both going and coming home again, there was a lone dove
standing in the same location on the center line of the road.
Can I swear it is the same one? No. I saw others on the trip.
No others on that exact spot, though. The female is gone,
due to some scavenger, I suspect. There are many of those.
Missionary Sojourn 