A Dove Fluttered Down

A dove fluttered down
from tree-branch to water’s edge:

I saw her white, delicate wings
open in mid-air

her bird’s feet briefly settle
on muddy ground

and her beak bow down to drink
before

she felt my footfalls
as I came closer

walking on the roadway,
then around the fence

to go home over the greensward
between the field and the pond

and she startled up from the water’s edge
into the safety of her tree

watching me with careful wonder
until I passed by.

jb

Southeast Edge
of the CCU Soccer Field
4.29