City Birds

The park felt heavy, clouds low, lingering—

a flock of pigeons, graceful yet bumbling,

their cooing intimate, a softness beneath

the sharpness of city sounds that crackle,

a pigeon with a lopsided feather,

preening like it knows something I don’t,

these small misfits, gathering scraps of life,

heartbeats echoing in their quiet flapping—

each landing a whisper, a shared moment,

a tilt of the world, as I pause, watch them move,

anchoring my thoughts to the ground beneath.

Unspoken words heavy in the air,

these city birds navigating the unseen.

I feel the weight of them, longing to fly,

a flutter of wings, tangled in silver wires,

seeking some tenderness in the gray noise,

yet always finding their place, these pigeons

remind me of how to soften the edges of my heart.