20210423

elegy for a pigeon in traffic

Someone killed a pigeon downtown

its blood shining bright

against the dull asphalt

and the city just

went about its business

as if we hadn't

bred them to be pretty

and turned them loose

and treated them like vermin

with iridescent wings

and fed them our garbage

and made them rely on us

even though we don't want them.


By the time the colors have faded

the bright blood and

the shine of the wings dulled

no one will think much about it

least of all

I assume

the driver who hit them and moved on

just another dead bird

but it is important

I think

to remember even these

unimportant things.

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