Two pigeons arrived in the barn one day
and we welcomed them with open arms.
For a few weeks, they stuck around
and it seemed as though
they had found new home.
We were thrilled,
claiming them as our own.
One afternoon we noticed
that there was only one pigeon
and it was limping.
Somehow, it had broken the back toe
of it’s right foot.
We put it in a cage
to protect it from our cats
and dogs
and to nurse it back to health.
A broken toe,
and a broken heart.
Day by day
this injured pigeon grew stronger
and began walking laps in the cage
and flapping its wings.
We let it out
but nothing happened
and the cats seemed all too interested.
So, back in the cage it went for one more day.
The next day, we let it out
set it safely on the branch of a tree
and when we went back out to check
something had happened.
It hadn’t started to fly,
it hadn’t even moved
but there was another pigeon
sitting right next to it.
The new pigeon
looked nothing like
the one that disappeared
the day our friend was injured,
this was an altogether new, different bird.
The new pigeon and the old pigeon
appear to have fallen
in love
and the new one
has been by the old one’s side
every step of the way,
every stride,
and on every flight
or attempted flight
during the recovery.
They’re still here,
and very much in love
and the happiness they bring
to each other and to the farm
makes it worth putting up with
all of the shit.
