James Audobon, Mourning Dove
A dove got caught in the rafters last night.
I had quite a time trying to get her out.
She hit her head several times in panic.
Only when she was stunned was I able to care
for her.In the paper there was this quote from a sage:
“Human nature was originally one and we were
a whole,
And the desire and pursuit of the whole is called
love.”It was late at night. Her flapping caught my attention. I looked up to see her perched in the rafters. The dove tried to fly out, but she was either hurt or disoriented. she skittered across the ceiling. Landing at the blue windows, she looked out, unable to pass through the invisible barrier. I climbed up and tried to get her to fly out. She let me come very close but was unable to understand my language or actions.
She flew from me but quickly lost altitude and landed on the floor. I climbed down and urged her on. There was just a short distance to go, but she panicked and flew into a wall. She fell to my worktable, stunned, breathing hard, a feather lying loose at her side. Only then was I able to put her in a box and care for her.
She couldn’t understand my intentions and so was hurt. I was unable to help her without being frightening. Were all living beings once connected? Perhaps so, but in this world, the pursuit of love and compassion is not without pain and confusion.
I love the sounds of the doves around here – their soft cooing is one of the earliest signs of spring. They usually nest near our house, sometimes next door, sometimes trying to nest in hanging planters I used to have outside my door or in ur trees. They tend to return to their same nesting spots each year.
Love and compassion are not easy, despite what people think. Sometimes, we have to have compassion for species or people very different from ourselves. Sometimes, doing what is loving and compassionate feels like pain or confuses us. We accuse people of trying to control us when they try to tell us something isn’t right for us or will hurt us. Sometimes, loving people means walking away from them, forcing them to solve their own problems rather than be dependent on you. How do we decide? How do we know what to do?
Tao helps deal with our confusion. But life is confusing, painful, and love is no exception.
2 Responses
Such a perfect observation of Den Ming~Dao’s verse. Helping others to help themselves sometimes can be very difficult and painful for both parties.
I love them here in Tucson; I just wish they would quit flying into the glass windows!!!! Stupid birds try to fly into the house and then they knock themselves out.