to the pigeons of my block
Columba livia. Nice name, but you certainly have a haughty attitude...
photo by dsnake1
to the pigeons of my block
you are fearless, feckless
you think you owned the turf
the void decks, the lift landings
you shit indiscriminately
you walk, mostly waddle
little heads nodding
like some fat capitalist
counting his stocks
ready-eyed, sometimes red
like my bad hangover
you spy some stuff you leap
like plump ballerinas
eh, what's for lunch today?
rice/corn & chicken bones
someone's ancestral offerings
the joss sticks still burning
you take, like racket money
no questions asked, the bullies
muscling off the bald, old ones
to get at the leftover scraps
and when you are contended
you fly off to the eaves
your homes, cooing, fussing
trying making peace with us.
17/10/2021
**********
Shared on Friday Writings #3 at Poets and Storytellers United
Emmit Fenn - Who Dat
© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2021
to the pigeons of my block
you are fearless, feckless
you think you owned the turf
the void decks, the lift landings
you shit indiscriminately
you walk, mostly waddle
little heads nodding
like some fat capitalist
counting his stocks
ready-eyed, sometimes red
like my bad hangover
you spy some stuff you leap
like plump ballerinas
eh, what's for lunch today?
rice/corn & chicken bones
someone's ancestral offerings
the joss sticks still burning
you take, like racket money
no questions asked, the bullies
muscling off the bald, old ones
to get at the leftover scraps
and when you are contended
you fly off to the eaves
your homes, cooing, fussing
trying making peace with us.
17/10/2021
**********
Shared on Friday Writings #3 at Poets and Storytellers United
Emmit Fenn - Who Dat
© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2021
Labels: creatures, heartlands, landscape, urban
posted by dsnake1 at 12:01 AM
22 Comments:
I look forward to your poetry .... this one certainly kept me reading. In my smallish city we have few pigeons. I actually don't believe I've seen one in sixteen years. In big cities I've experienced, certainly another story ... you told it quite well!
Very vivid! Your poem is amusing to read, but perhaps they are not so amusing to live with.
Love it! Especially this part:
....waddle
little heads nodding
like some fat capitalist
counting his stocks
We don't have pigeons where I live but I have written about squirrels as fury Kongs that hang in gangs and swing from feeders like pirate raiders...
I'm ending my day with a smile reading this. You've captured the essence of pigeons to a fare-the-well. I loved it!
Helen,
Thank you!
At the apartment block where i am living, they are quite numerous. sometimes they will disappear for a while (i suspect culling) but they will be back.
Rosemary,
not so amusing to live with. more like annoying, when they dirtied the place, but well, they are always looking for food.
Colleen,
first thing we notice about them is their bobbing heads!
i like how you described the squirrels as fury Kongs. :)
Beverly,
Thank you! :)
Most annoying those pigeons .. they pretty much rule the cities.. you've put it very well!
Beauty is only skin deep.
They used to roost on our balcony rails. When we put bug and spider repellant in the paint all intruders went elsewhere.
..
Thotpurge,
oh yes, they are most annoying! :)
Jim,
yes, they think they are pretty and strut around like models.
so bug & spider repellant can keep them away? :)
A well written and refreshing poem. I've never viewed pigeons in this light, that is, as annoying. In Finland, we have wood pigeons. Even though sociable creatures, they search for their food more from open fields than from gardens. But I definitely share the frustration with speaker of your poem; magpies fit this vivid description.
Khaya,
Thank you!
it's these urban birds that are annoying. besides these feral pigeons, there are also the javan mynahs which are probably more annoying. :(
I'm taken by the descriptions, the tone, the sarcastic humor. One of these days, I might have to read this one aloud to the pigeons that inhabit NYC's train tracks. I will bring an umbrella though, since their rears have really undesirable aims.
I love the sharp observations in this piece. It rings true to anyone who has been to a city and witnessed these birds in action.
Magaly,
Our birds have too make their homes under the train viaducts. Yes, you know they are there by the droppings on the ground. :)
Rommy,
I guess most big cities have these birds as inhabitants.
I'm not fond of pigeons and they invade the farmers' sheds here in the midwest.
Looks like they are not welcomed anywhere. :)
Well written Lee
Thank you, Ashok! :)
Pigeons are bad ass. They don't give a shit. Except that they give too many of them.
Hahaha!
you're spot on! 😁
Love this!
Thank you, magiceye! :)
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