Five Minutes
It’s only a pigeon’s call,
three short squawks
repeated ad infinitum.
I wonder why
he has so much to say
but this is his life:
during the day he eats,
at dusk he turns to sleep
A car arrives— sounds like
the slick bass purr of a German V6,
crunching on gravel.
A door slamming marks an end,
maybe shopping unloaded:
the beginning of silence.
And then the pigeon
starts over all over again
poem © copyright df barker 2012
Ciscography 
I sat here and read this a couple time or more
and realized with the slamming of a door, we could be the pieon
living in 5 minute increments…always starting
over again…
I liked this one
I just knew you had painted a picture of an empty bench with pigeons on the ground….that was what i saw…
Tanks Dave…
a thought provoking one today it seems
)0(
maryrose
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and that would Thanks …I think I need another cup of coffee LOls
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Hi David, what a wonderful thought over an ordinary moment 🙂
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Thank you Maryrose! You are indeed very perceptive!
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Thank you very much Ina!
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Very nice. I love all birds, even pigeons. They look so lovely when they are in flight. Great capture of a moment in time and universality of life. Or do I have it all wrong?
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Thank you so much for your comments, Russell. You are quite right, my intention was to capture an essence of universality in a little ‘window’. 🙂
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oh nice..what a great capture of the moment…and you know…i like both sounds…the V6 and the pigeon’s call…smiles
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Thank you very much Claudia!
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I’d rather be the pigeon. 🙂 I loved reading this, I can just picture it all. I wasn’t sure where you were going, but when you got there and circled back I cracked a big smile. hehh nice one!
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I worked for several years as a legal secretary and legislative assistant in an office building in a city in Georgia where there were LOTS of pigeons on the ledges outside our office windows. They behaved exactly as you describe when a delivery truck would screech to a halt down on the street! I know pigeons make a lot of “dirt”, but I still love them, anyway, for all they have to say to me!
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Pete, thank you very much!
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Thank you for your comments Granbee – I like pigeons too!
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Pigeons, the much maligned cousins of Mourning Doves (or is it Morning Doves). Glad your pigeons got a break from pigeon bashing.
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it reminds me of the messages we share in our poetry, we deliver, then there is quiet, many receive our songs, then go their way, and our moment of delivery comes allowing us to share our songs again! Your poem moves the mind and touches the soul!
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I so enjoy poetic observations that focus one sound. And I like pigeons, doves even more so, and they are busy here in the desert right now.
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I enjoyed this poem immensely. You created a reallynice contemplative feeling in your descriptions. Time almost seemed to be standing still.
I don’t have many pigeons around of the European variety, but some live under the bridge in the park near me and I’m always amazed by the colouring and patterning of their feathers.
Thank you for sharing such a lovely poem. It’s been a relaxing moment in my day.
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This is a funny thing for me to share, David, but I took a photo of a pigeon today. Ha! I find them interesting, and I now see that you do, too! You captured their repetitive existence beautifully…Debra
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Oh this is lovely…. i live in a high rise, its actually a huge residential complex of several high rises..used to be a small forest out here..now the pegions have made their nests in the building where ever they can..and I can tell you this( your poetry) is exactly the scenario here
They do chirp a lot have lots to say …what a lovely poem David
Have a wonderful week 🙂
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I love this one David!
What a beautiful observation! And to capture it in words so eloquently too.
Christine
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Thank you very much, Linda!
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Wendell, you’re very kind and I appreciate your comments.
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Victoria, I thank you very much – we have doves, too.
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Hi, yes, they are far more attractive than people think, aren’t they? Thank you so much for commenting.
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Debra, thank you so much! Yes, I think they are much maligned birds.
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Thank you Soma, I always appreciate your comments – have nice week, too!
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Christine, thank you so much! Hope you are well. We’ve got someone coming to visit us today, originally from Leeds (your part of the world); she was at Uni with my wife over thirty years ago, Sophia Jasieczek (spelling might be off), her parents were Polish refugees after the war. Amazingly (for these days) they have stayed in contact all this time.
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“I wonder why
he has so much to say
but this is his life:
during the day he eats,
at dusk he turns to sleep”
Boy, the layers to that are so many…how often can we identify with this pigeon, creatures of routine…
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Once again, I am flattered by your comments and also very grateful.
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Nicely written, David – pigeons are smart, maybe he’s squawking out a poem! Enjoyed this very much. 🙂
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Thank you very much Betty!
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But what a joy such repetition can be…especially in a world where nature is so often under threat of being changed forever. Enjoyed this!
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