Do Mr. and Mrs. Dove ever fight?

I mean,

they mate for life, right?

How long do doves live?

Thirty years, maybe?

One year can feel like forever

sometimes,

depending on who you’re with,

you know what I mean….

Is that aviary, marital commitment

locked in a gene?

Is there a prenup?

Like, what if the Mrs’s

sneaks some feathery kisses

from that big, down-breasted fellow

in the next tree?

Is Mr. Dove “at liberty”

or does he have to let it be,

clench his beak

and take it like,

well,

like a dove…

symbol of peace

and all that.

Or is there a domestic dispute court

for the bird community

presided over by an old owl

who

wants to know

who

is at fault,

who

is the bereaved plaintiff

and is there hope?

Are there any chicks in the nest?

What will be best

for the rest of them?

Maybe she takes a tentative

coo-ing-off- period

in some New Hampshire forest.

(I hear the Balsams are very calming.)

But then,

what does Mr. Dove do in the mean time?

Is he stuck with all the child care?

Or can he flutter around the forest

to find some fun,

have a little fling on the wing?

We might forgive that,

wouldn’t we?

Ya see,

being a dove can be

a very complicated thing.

It’s not all

pecking beneath the feeders,

searching for sun-flower seeds.