Jessica Ahrens.
Quilted oil spills,
You must be lonely—
Domesticated devotion turned
Carries of memories,
Nothing more;
Nothing more
Concrete decor,
Scraps for urban worms
Plucked for conquest,
Left to leak
You—
A greased mess
Columbidae,
Colomba livia
Nothing more;
Nothing more
In your city valley home,
Does it feel like home?
Writer’s Notes:
Today, pigeons are akin to urban pests, but they used to be loved. They used to be something
more—domesticated companions. This poem explores the tragedy of the pigeon, who are now
often discarded as the oil spills that their iridescent feathered coats resemble. The title is the
broader family, Columbidae, as opposed to the genus, Colomba livia, to call out to the dove, who is cherished when the pigeon is not.