Doris Lynch
Our Lady of the Pigeons
She arrives at the post office steps across from Penn Station. Elegantly jeweled, in late middle age, her hair the color of winter wheat. On this March day she wears a pink wool suit, carries a New Yorker bag. As she approaches, pigeons rise and swirl, wings fluttering loudly. Rushing to secure a position near her, they nudge each other aggressively.
She hurls seed in every direction and then—bag nearly empty—she walks toward us. My husband is feeding the end of his bagel to a broken-winged bird. “Not really good for them,” she warns. “But OK, occasionally. Just break it into bits.” She demonstrates by shredding the remainder of the bagel. Descending a few steps, she flips her bag upside down and shakes out the last of her gifts. The flock scuttles, plucks seeds, rises to the sky.
“First day without a coat and gloves,” she tells us. “So thrilled they still recognize me.”
suddenly a girl again
carrying a shoebox
with an injured bird
About the Author
Celebrating her first decade writing haibun, Doris Lynch has recent work in Haibun Today, cho, Frogpond, Modern Haiku, and FemkuMag. She also writes in longer forms.
How beautiful! Upon reading Our Lady of the Pigeons, I felt as I had stumbled into a warm ray of sunshine on an otherwise typically cold March day. I wanted to join in with the three and pitch a few crumbs, too. Picturesquely written scene of human compassion and the joy of interaction with non-human nature all the way through the ending haiku. Thank you, Doris Lynch.
Thank you, Ken, for your kind remarks. You are always welcome to join us throwing crumbs or (preferably) seeds at any time!
Age-old wisdom comes in all shapes, sizes and so often unexpectedly. Lovely haibun
Thank you, Tom. May only good pigeons fly over you.