September Afternoon Visitors

The urban birds of my neighborhood seem to raise their families year round.  I shouldn't have been surprised to see such a young mourning dove outside my window this afternoon under the watchful eyes of an adult.

I stopped reading the book in my hands and flipped the pages back to a most appropriate line of writing.

". . . one listens to the mourning dove terracing its sweet calls . . ."

from "On Beauty and Being Just"  by Elaine Scarry