Pigeons

I live in the countryside
and pigeons here
are all of the wood
that much is clear
A sort of white collar
Plumper than most
They frequent our bushes
And sit on my post

Like magpies the pigeons
Are mostly in pairs
Romantic birds
Who share their affairs
Like sitting up on the telegraph wire
Or on the back gate
Or the summer house spire

In the wild they live up to 5 years
So I have heard
Quite a long time for such a nice bird
They seem to eat well
And have a dense coat
They bill and they coo
In the evening I note.

The ones in town are slimmer by far
Columba they call them
Beggars they are
Out in the centres if somebody feeds
they congregate
Hoping for tasty seeds.

Life must be hard for birds everywhere
Some people feed them
Others don’t. Care
Mixed seeds and fat balls
And fruit and some bread
Shared with the squirrels
And rats too it’s said.