The Pigeons of Lynn

The pigeons of Lynn
are befouling the roof
of the Lynn Historical Society
on Green Street,
which from 1875 to 1882
was the home of Mary Baker Eddy
who moved around a lot
because her neighbors, the good
people of Lynn,
were made to feel uncomfortable by
her original healings
which were spiritual in nature
and gave them the heebie-jeebies.

The pigeons of Lynn
are not spiritual in nature
though here and there a sick or injured one
crouching on the sidewalk–
a little feathered stomach ache
breathing among the footfalls–
could surely use one or two of Mrs. Eddy’s
original healings.

And the recovering heroin addicts of Lynn
are trying to empty their minds of all but grace
under the roof of the halfway house
which from 2006 to the present day
has occupied the same mucous-green building
across from the Historical Society
on Green Street,
in spite of the fact that the neighbors, the same
good people of Lynn,
are made to feel uncomfortable by
the thought of a houseful of heroin addicts
living next door.

The heroin addicts of Lynn
may or may not have read the works of Mrs. Eddy,
though some have visited the Historical Society,
gingerly fingered an antique table, considered
asking the attractive, middle-aged docent
about morphine in New England in the 1800s.

Each night the pigeons quit
the roof of the Historical Society
for the roof of the halfway house
just after the sun goes down
behind the generous hundred-year oak.

The addict doesn’t quit, say the staff
at the halfway house,
many of whom are recovering heroin addicts
themselves. He changes
from the inside out. It’s an inside job.
And even if they haven’t
discovered the works of Mrs. Eddy
who was not a heroin addict
or a dove fancier
or a resident of Lynn for long,
the recovering heroin addicts of Lynn
find the idea of spiritual healing
irreducible and beautiful.
It is, you’ll hear them say
in their meetings on the top floor
beneath the cooing ceiling joists,
quite simply the most important fact
of their lives.