The not so common pigeon

When we reached the top of
the hill at the intersection of
Congress and High the
traffic light turned red.

And there they were.

The pigeons, rock pigeons,
also known as the common
pigeon.

Twenty or thirty of them ...
maybe more, maybe less ...
dropping from the ledge of the
five story building on the
edge of the park across
the street.

Together they soared,
turned, dipped, and
sailed like an orchestra
in flight under the direction
of an unseen conductor
whose baton lifted them 
higher, higher ... and higher still,
until they landed on the ledge 
of a building on the other
side of park.

The common pigeon.

As captivating as a murmuration
of swallows, as iridescent
as the hummingbird, magpie,
and peacock.