under the bridge

i have great respect for the animals and plants that choose to live amongst people. it's easy to see the beauty of the wild forest or the lonely canyon, but ordinary nature on the city street is so often frowned upon. why do people hate pigeons? i am fascinated by them. the way they live in the city is much like the homeless live--under bridges, surrounded by concrete and steel, and almost always in public. they build their homes, have babies, and live happily in circumstances that many people find squalid. they do not concern themselves with the opinions of people, they just live with them. i am reminded of the human impact on the world by the messes the pigeons make. we do the same, only flush them away or take them to the dump, but really there is nowhere to go, we live in a closed system. maybe that's why the creatures of the city are so hard for some to love. they are too much like ourselves.