Mourning Dove

another poem on pregnancy loss even though it's already November

I was supposed to have this poem out before October (Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month) was over, but alas. Life happens. Here it is anyway. This piece is special to me—it feels a lot like a miracle—because I wrote it back in April before the baby we lost had even been conceived.

There was a mourning dove nesting two perfectly white, oval eggs right outside our bedroom window. I would monitor her daily and ask my husband to check on the eggs whenever she wasn’t there, since I wasn’t tall enough to see them without touching the nest. We didn’t want to disturb anything.

I became concerned one day when I noticed the mama bird hadn’t been to her nest all morning. I thought it was odd since she was always there—sitting and waiting to meet her hatchlings. By the time my husband was home from work that evening, she still hadn’t returned and my concern had only grown. Of course I asked him to check and my fear materialized: the eggs were gone. A few days later the nest was gone, too.

To this day, we’re not quite sure what happened. We know they didn’t hatch because there weren’t shells anywhere… not inside the nest, nor on the ground below it, nor the ground surrounding it. A few days later we spotted a stray cat roaming around the tree and wondered if he was to blame. We’ll never know for sure.

This poem came to me as I pondered everything. I was actually quite sad. I started writing and quickly realized it read like a miscarriage poem. I had never experienced one, so I immediately felt weird for writing it; an imposter on such an intimate loss.

Little did I know it would only take a couple of months for me to feel all of it so deeply and personally. These words of grieving and questioning were like a gift from God—given to me before I even knew I needed them. But He works like that often.

The morning before our final appointment with the OB/GYN, the one that confirmed what we already knew, I spotted a mourning dove on our back porch for the first time since the nest incident. I don’t believe in coincidences.

Mourning Dove 

The dove's nest gone,
no trace of what was lost. 
Not even a trail of broken shells
on this branch once 
                            weighed  
                           
                                        down 
by pearly orbs waiting 
for a drop of light.
Silence—hanging, left behind 
by extinguished life. 

How quickly do animals forget 
their own making? How do these creatures 
cope with loss? By undoing nests? 
Leaving the rest up to their Maker? 
I am glad to be human

and take a little while. Linger here 
beside my branch now lonely. 
To be human, not dove—love,
mourn, then return to our shared Maker 
that which is no longer my own.

   - r.e.g. 

---

An extra note: I know it’s election day for all of my American friends and family. I pray in its own way, this poem gives you hope for today. Even if the outcome of this election is not the one you prayed for, or the state of our nation is not what you’d like it to be—remember you’re allowed to grieve. But eventually, like the mourning dove, we must offer everything back up to our Maker. He is ruler over all.

---

Some literary news..

• I am soooo excited to share that three of my poems (Soft-boned, Wonders of Old, and New Mercies) will make their debut as part of The Way Back to Ourselves fall journal, The Peace of Wild Things. I was deeply inspired by this theme and poured lots of love into my submission. I cannot wait to share these poems with all of you soon. Thank you to

  Kimberly Phinney
  and the rest of the TWBTO team for the selection.

• My poem September 15th was recently published by

  Ekstasis
  as a part of their latest online collection. I am so thankful, especially since this particular piece means so much to me. I’ve been reading some of the other pieces and they are absolutely incredible. You can read the collection here.

• I am honored to have been selected by Prosetrics Literary Magazine to be one of their exclusive contributors in their upcoming winter issue, Apricity. Two pieces of mine will be included in this print journal releasing January 2025. There’s still time to submit and I’d encourage all my fellow writers to send in their best winter-themed pieces! Read the submission guidelines here.

• Calla Press Publishing LLC
  just opened up their query submissions for 2025. Don’t delay, send them your best work! We accept children’s books, adult fiction, and nonfiction. You can find our submission guidelines here.

If you’re new here, welcome! If you’ve been around for a while… some friendly reminders:

Everything you read here on In Light of Eternity is free. I’m so incredibly thankful and honored that anyone, let alone all of you, would take the time to read my poems and musings. To take my beloved words so seriously.

If you’d like to become a paid subscriber for $5.00/month, that’s totally possible and here’s how I would say a special thanks to you:

• You’d automatically become a member of my poetry penpal club and receive a print of one of my poems in the mail every month! These are perfect for framing or gifting.

• Enter an annual giveaway for paid subscribers only. The prize? A custom poem written by me!

Free or paid, I’m so so glad you’re here. Send me a message with any questions, feedback, and/or suggestions. I always love hearing from friends on this platform and building community with other poetry-lovers.