The Winged Visitor

~ Becky Ross Michael
Thirsty Dove

The weather has been VERY hot and dry, here in Texas. I’m no longer surprised when “my dove” now visits the balcony for a drink, even while I’m sitting right there! I have a few green tomatoes, so far, and already ate several peppers from my plants. Time will tell if I’m able to give the plants enough water and just enough sun to keep things growing in this heat. The cactus, to the left of the shelves, is the happiest.

Wings of a Dove

by Henry Van Dyke

I
At sunset, when the rosy light was dying
Far down the pathway of the west,
I saw a lonely dove in silence flying,
To be at rest.

Pilgrim of air, I cried, could I but borrow
Thy wandering wings, thy freedom blest,
I’d fly away from every careful sorrow,
And find my rest.

II
But when the filmy veil of dusk was falling,
Home flew the dove to seek his nest,
Deep in the forest where his mate was calling
To love and rest.

Peace, heart of mine! no longer sigh to wander;
Lose not thy life in barren quest.
There are no happy islands over yonder;
Come home and rest.

And, finally, one of my mom’s favorite songs. I remember as a child, I had to stay home from school, sick, one day. She played this song, over and over again, as she cleaned the house. I remember feeling very surprised:)

58 thoughts on “The Winged Visitor”

    2. It’s the heat. Tomatoes stop producing in the summer, and then will come back in the fall. The pick-it farm where I go was loaded with fruit, but the last two weeks only the cherry tomatoes have done well. There are still some slicers, but not so many. They drip irrigate, so the drought’s not a problem — just the heat.

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  13. I’ve always loved that song. Of course, the white-winged dove made it into one of our modern songs, too. I have a pair of these that sit in my feeders every evening now. I think they’re a mated pair, and they’ll stay until almost full dark before flying up to their tree — and they always get a drink before bedtime!

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  14. Hot and dry is my least favorite season. We will have more of that once monsoons are done but for now, everything is getting a little drink of fresh water. I love hearing the doves coo in the early morning hours. I never thought about putting out water for them though. Thanks for making me think about it. I loved hearing that song years ago. Had forgotten about it. Thanks for sharing it.

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  21. beautiful poem and great song; I used to love it when I was a kid; what a name! whatever happened to Ferlin Husky? down our way it has been quite cold, one of our coldest winters for some years; could do with a bit of your heat down here in Oz 🙂

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