Pe(s)t

A once beloved companion 

is cast out of favor by militant kings 

who find themselves overrun

in times of transient peace.

Now they who toiled  and traveled for their keep, 

fly free as beggars scraping together

a new life in these overrun cities.

Their purpose purged from memory.

Espionage masters of the suburban sky

and mail carriers of the highest caliber.

Feathered soldiers, discharged abruptly. 

Pecking concrete for spare seeds

while viewed as vermin, who were 

once honored with medals of valor

for their service to their commanders.

Keepers of the metropolis 

with their fearlessness forgotten. 

Swarming around the empire 

even once they’ve been evicted.

The dark shimmer of their tired wings

shines under the ancient blazing sun.

Deep purples and greens reflecting the crests

of the royal families they once served,

and the uniforms they once wore with pride.

Nestled in wire coops and 

carved out crumbling walls,

they fly together through the exhaust 

of the factory machines we furnace.

Pigeons, once our friends, now a nuisance.