The doves are back, romancing in my backyard,
Back again to nurture life gracious as a loom of jacquard.
Birds chirp and croon the melody of spring,
Sound, so harmonious and upswing.
Nostalgia from last year in my mind lingers,
It reminds me I must cut my nails and brisk my fingers.
Last year, I cleaned my feeder and filled it for their nourishment,
They swayed each other while I took it as a sign of contentment.
I unfolded the blinds and observed a couple sitting on my neighbor's tree,
They chastened me and teased me about how they were so free.
Frost settled, and people rushed into their gardens,
The flowers in the front yard cast a spell for startles.
I, too, rushed and filled my yard with tender shoots,
Shoots that will take time to expand, needing to spruce.
A hanging flower basket caught my eye and enchanted its way home,
I persevered, dug the earth, and planted more seeds in wet loam.
Anxiously, I waited for the seasonals to grow,
It's a mistake; the kids in the backyard let me know.
God save the plants became our Backyardigans song,
One the kids sang with their hearts all day long.
Then one day, while I lifted the hose to spray,
My neighbor pointed to the planter hanging in a basket so gray.
Life's growing inside, lead by the spouse,
The dove couple found a haven in my house.
Then every day, we waited for the eggs to break,
To see the tiny hands and feet and those eyes to talk.
To see them taking their first flight,
To see them leaving the empty nest and my sight.
And it happened one morning,
I took my camera; they looked at me with adorning.
Goodbye, they said, leaving my eyes wet,
Another spring will bring more doves; they asked me not to sweat.