Anywhere but There - Feb. 19, 2023

damn doves are building a nest

right above the bomb target

of two chairs in the garden

our sweet spot in the summer

for a shady view and a

sun-warmed snuggle in the winter

already nest debris adorns the arm rests

with crusty old poop in a splatter pattern

on seat and back cushions and underfoot

I’ve poled the nest apart twice

but they keep rebuilding with

stubborn sticks and pig-headed twigs

I poke at it one more time

As they sit on a power line

bobbing and head-cocking

before flying off

I’m hoping that nature

has some equivalent

to baseball’s strikeout rule

three tries

three misses

you’re out