Monday, September 22, 2025

Mourning Dove in Milk and Pepper

 

Like dropped white petals

in the Colonel’s yard,

lie wing bones

and feathers—

 

cat, coyote, or

desert skunk,

having taste for only

head and trunk.

 

But, no hint of scent

of the last night spent—basting

in the coo that ended in a coup.

 

 

© 2025 Jennifer Wagner

 

dVerse Quadrille

 

11 comments:

  1. Very nicely written. Must not have been a skunk or you would have smelled it!

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  2. I love the rhythm in your poem - and such a wonderful title to bring us in Jae

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  3. mmmm, so utterly original. loved everything about it.

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  4. Your title is a little poem of its own, Jennifer, and I love the earthiness of your quadrille, the contrast between the simile of the ‘dropped white petals’ and the harshness of the alliterative ‘cat, coyote, or desert skunk’. It’s tragic to lose chickens that way, but there is always the thought that it’s just Nature’s way.

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  5. This is so vivid, describing that end of the dove... love it.

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  6. You literally had me with the title!

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  7. Lovely use of contrast here with "dropped white petals," and "cat, coyote, or desert skunk," 💙

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  8. Poor baby. I love mourning doves and find one the hawk got once in a while. I love the way you chose your words here!

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  9. Awesome poem, Jennifer!

    Yvette M Calleiro :-)
    http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com

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  10. That title is something and Jennifer I am always in awe of your talent in making each chosen word to sing. Stunning. ❤️

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Thank you for your thoughts!