You know, Young One, I says
I saw the dove family everyday.
They were kind
They were happy
They loved home

The dove family lived among many other different doves
The doves were different but the same, I says.
The different types of doves
they still loved, and cared- I Says
They still visited each other everyday
and were loving neighbors

They were different I says,
but they  both had hearts
Different but the same, I says
from the same residing loving land

They lived in the most beautiful place on earth
A land of peace
A land of harmony
And a  land of beautiful olive trees,
and a beautiful windy breeze

BUT One day I says, to the young one.
I saw something new,
The doves were playing at home like usual
When a new bird they never saw before came
and broke into their house

Baby dove asked, Who are these mamma?
Why are they inside our house?

Mamma Dove, the mother of the land opened her home to these new guests
She didn't know why they were here
But she welcomed them, since they didn't have a different home
she welcomed them Like her traditions taught her.
She welcomed them.
She let them live in her house,
sleep in her house
and eat in her house

Mamma dove said to baby dove,
“These are guests, so we must give them your room to stay in for now”
These new birds lived with the doves for some time

But then Young One, I noticed that things began to change

More and more guests came
And they took over more than just that room
They wanted the whole house
The doves olive branches house that is.

The didn't ask if they could stay
But they took the all homes anyway
They started to say that our home, was theirs
and they took our beautiful old house.
Thats silly says Mother dove
Don't say silly things
But the new birds were mad
And stole Mother dove's voice
She couldn't speak no more
They continued to steal all the doves homes.

The doves were confused
The doves were scared
The doves were upset

Why are they taking our land? They says.
Why are they taking our home? They says.
Mother Dove says, we can live together, but you can't kick us out of our home.
But the new birds were mad
And stole Mother dove's voice
She couldn't speak no more

The doves loved their home that they always had
They grew in their homes and lived in their homes
They always loved it
I says: They loved their home that they always had
that they always had
that they always had

But Now, the new birds were scary
They were strong
They were many
They were strong and rich
many helped them

The army of birds and the bigger eagles
forbid the doves from living
The doves were dying to live.

They broke their homes
and built their own
they built great big walls around the other doves, that they couldn't fly over

The doves  were prisoners in their home.

Mother dove began to cry…
When the other birds came and burnt her olive tree
Her special Olive Tree, that she saw grow from hundreds of years.
Mother dove began to cry…
When she missed the soil of her land
Mother dove began to cry…
When her husband was taken by the birds
Mother dove began to cry…
When she was helpless and didn't have a home no more
Mother dove began to cry…
Mother dove collapsed
When baby dove was killed
And that, I says
was when Mother dove lost her wings

Mother dove’s beautiful white feathers became
gray from dust and rubble
from attacks and pains
Mother doves beautiful white feathers became
splattered with red
from the blood that split from her familiarity

Mother dove lost her heart
when she ran away to a different land
Mother dove was no longer a dove
for she lost her heart
she lost her name
she lost her title

Her dreams were like her
are like her existence.
Invalid
Rejected,
Negotiable,
Deniable, `
Refutable.
Compromised,
Unrecognized.
Her dreams
Get uprooted like the olives trees.
her dreamed  apartheid walled
Her dreams
On surveillance camera, watched.
Her dreams crushed and washed away, I says.

Wait wait! The young one says
Why didn't anyone help the doves?
They could have helped the doves, couldn't they?!
Where was the rest of jungle? Where were the rest of the animals?

I laughed, an empty laugh
Oh young one, I says,
They saw it all
But they were blind, I says-
They choose not to see
They choose not share..
They young one was confused
What do you mean she says?

I respond,

They couldn't see
through the frail body
through the heart of innocence
shrinking gradually…
humanity drowns  i says
humanity is a draught i says

I start to sniffle
And a tear rolls down my cheek.

Why are you crying The young one says?

I look down to the floor and I says,
I’ve never intended to let my voice
crackle with sultry tears
while retelling you the story
but the image of  mother Dove kissing
the forehead of her dead child
took over my chimes
And I says, I’ve never intended to sound so upset
while telling you about Dove
but the image of the faceless soldiers made me erupt
and I says, I’ve never intended to close
my eyes and lose breath
and shed the tears
while sharing the truth with you...
but my boat is sinking
washing me ashore, face down in sand
along with humanity.
Oh, Mother Dove, I says.
Oh how I dream of the day you return
of the day your wings are returned to you.
Oh, Mother Dove, I says.