A Cycle of Life

One spring morning two doves worked tirelessly to build a nest in a planter that hung from my porch. The doves were precious. They cooed at each other and mated on my doorstep. Soon there were three eggs in the nest. Both doves took turns keeping the eggs warm. One bird stayed during the night then in the morning, the other bird would arrive to relieve its mate.

I was not the only one to notice the dove’s routine for there was a big, fat, cockeyed, brown and white cat lurking nearby. I chased the cat away but I knew the doves and the eggs were doomed. The next day upon my return home from morning errands, I walked the path to the front door and noticed two large areas on the lawn that were covered with feathers. My front doorstep was also covered in feathers. The nest was empty.