Poem and Photo by Julian Alper
The laughing dove, perched high above,
was having a chuckle, was having a laugh.
And what was so funny that caused such mirth?
He said to himself in his own pidgin English,
if I were to dive from such a great height,
the people below would recount to each other,
of how the dove dived, or should that be dove?
As he thought of these words, "it dived" or "it dove",
oh, how did he giggle, oh, how did he titter.
He thought to himself in his own pidgin English,
isn't it apt that my name is Dave,
and isn't it apt that I live in Dover.
Everyone will know me as laughing Dave,
the great diver of Dover
or should that be, the dover of Dover?
As he thought of these words, "the dover of Dover",
oh, how he did chortle, oh, how he did snicker.
He thought to himself in his own pidgin English,
of his sister, oh how she loved to sing,
she should be known as the diva of Dover,
or should that be the diver of Dover?
As he thought of these words, "the diva of Dover",
oh, how he did chuckle, oh, how he did laugh.
He thought to himself,
doves do love the English of pigeons,
and with that
he dove down to the dive that he lived in.
[The laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis) is named because its cooing resembles a laugh.]
Julian Alper is a nature photographer / blogger, his website is https://natureofisrael.blogspot.com/
and he is the President of Voices Israel Group of Poets in English https://voicesisrael.com/.