birds of a feather

why do people hate pigeons? probably the reason my grandma hated all birds: they are dirty.
"they can't be much dirtier than us, plus they fly, grandma! so they don't even have to walk on the ground as much." she wasn't impressed with my logic. and looking back, if i was obsessive compulsive, that reasoning probably wouldn't have driven me to accept the winged creatures lovingly into my home either.

i spent a few hours in the park today watching the pigeons peck their way back and forth across the grass, terrorizing some prissy girls on a towel. the birds were in turn terrorized by two young boys with bikes. although the pigeons were smart enough to disperse as the boys rode their bikes through the middle of their pigeon huddle, they weren't smart enough to actually flee the area. again and again they danced: group of pigeons coo cooing as they waddle around a patch of grass. little boys circle around then dart at the birds. pigeons take flight to evade the youngsters. pigeons return to the same spot several minutes later. through all this back and forth i noticed that pigeons' flapping wings sound just like rustling leaves.

today is day 1 of 2 of the chicago air and water show, and when the pigeons weren't flying, i attempted to locate the fighter jets through the clouds. they can go a lot faster than their sound waves travel, so i was constantly looking in the wrong place. i was also tricked several times when the el rumbled by and i mistook it for a plane's roar.

the pigeons sound like leaves and the el sounds like a fighter jet.
that's practically a bad poem.