Mourning doves

I was surprised
this morning
to see a pair
of mourning doves
perched
on a telephone wire
out my kitchen window

showing affection
the way horses do

preening
each other's necks

I imagined how pleased
they must have been
to find
such a place
to alight
so far
from stinging nettles
pine needles
branches and trees

I wanted to ask them
what's going on
but generally you don't need
to ask that
of crows

or ravens

or rooks

or all manner
of non blondes

and just then

I imagined

how

the local French Canadians

with their own special joual

got their nid de poule

by analogy
with the more familiar
nid de corbeau

which marks
Turtle Mountain

and the Frank Slide

and the Crowsnest Pass

as a place
of love
and loss
and longing stopped fast

I can't think now
of those
souls without longing

I can't actually ask
the mourning doves a thing
but I believe
I heard them say
take time
to do your laundry
today
that's why we're here
and when you hang
it on the line

we'll go
until next time.