Lone Pigeon

[TerriB]

Lone pigeon on the light post,
Why are you alone?
Are you lost?
I offer you seed,
But you won't come to eat.
Too afraid of everything.

So thin.
Looking...for what?
Or who?
I wish you would accept my help.
Instead, you keep yourself up there.
I hope you find your way
To where ever.

Lone pigeon.
Now that I know more
My heart aches.

[Lin Hansen]

Terri,

Very moving.......

It struck a chord with me because I have noticed a new addition to my feral flock the past few days and have been concerned for him because he is always alone. Even when he is sitting along the roof with the rest of the flock, I sense that he is not a part of them yet....I just feel in my gut that he is among them, but not really "with them."
He is very unusual looking...a light copper and white, with very orange feet and beak. His cere is pinkish so it almost tends to blend in with his beak. He has bright yellow eyes...very striking. No bands, so I am assuming he is a feral. He just sits with the rest during the day and males are courting females all around him but he just sits there. I am assuming a male b/c no male ever tries to court him, but I have not yet seen him try to court a female yet. He is always the first to arrive in the am, alone. And the last to leave in the pm, alone. He eats and is healthy, but he just looks lost, somehow, to me.
Your poem made me think of him tonight and hope that soon I will be able to feel he is an accepted member of the flock.

Thanks,
Linda

[phyll]

Terri ~ along with yours, my heart aches also, now that I KNOW MORE.
Wherever there are pigeons, I am constantly scanning for one who needs help.
At the moment, we are experiencing "Blizzard 2005" here in New York.
Before going to bed towards morning, the birds (pigeons, mourning doves, sparrows, starlings and cardinals) are fed.

In previous years, my husband would clear the area of snow, and the food was set out. My heart aches now thinking that maybe the poor birds missed eating on those days because their food was snow-covered when they arrived. The snow is expected to continue until noon, I KNOW their food will be covered within minutes ~ no matter how late/early it is served.
This time, they will be fed when they arrive, shortly after sunrise.
It will be bitterly cold and they "gotta" eat!

My prayer is for every creature to have food, shelter warmth and love.

Phyll

[Pete Jasinski]

The blizzard didn't stop the birds from getting fed! I put a ton of food on my patio table and put the umbrella half way up so the snow never covered it and slid off to the side! This morning I cleared a 20" X 20" area and loaded it up. The pidgies haven't come yet but there are hundreds of sparrows and finches plus my resident cardinal and woodpecker families.

[Reti]

Pete,
I am sure they appreciate you doing all this for them.

Reti

[TerriB]

Kudos to you all for going the extra mile/kilometer to make sure your locals are fed despite the truely nasty weather you are having!