Local Peace Dove Speaks Up
It was never good when an interview turned into an impromptu counselling session. Especially when you were interviewing someone of a different species and weren’t sure what would be comforting.
20250825
Prompt from DailyPrompt.com
Sofia was previously seen here and here.
It was never good when an interview turned into an impromptu counselling session. Especially when you were interviewing someone of a different species and weren’t sure what would be comforting. Much less what comfort was possible to offer without disrupting the translation magic.
“I just… it’s a lot of pressure, y’know?” The dove sobbed, feathers puffed and trembling. “I’m a white pigeon! That’s all. I don’t have, have magic powers or the ability to change people’s hearts, or… But everywhere I go there’s eyes on me and I feel like I have to live up to this expectation. I can’t have a brief scrap with another pigeon over a stale bagel without someone posting a clip of it online and making a whole metaphorical thing out of it. It’s exhausting.”
“Oh, yes, that… I can’t imagine.” Sofia murmured. Entirely at a loss.
“And I’m minding my business in the park and someone walks past ranting into their phone about how they’ve given up on the world, and I just… am I meant to do something? Can I do something?? That’s what sucks about being turned into a symbol, you’re stuck with this nebulous responsibility you never asked for and aren’t equipped to handle!”
“Mm.” Sofia nodded earnestly.
She was not going to be able to print any of this. Drat. Time to think of a backup plan…
“You know what would really help, this ‘World Peace Day’?” The dove paced around the ritual circle, tail bobbing. “If humans stopped waiting for a sign and looking to other creatures for hope and just, just did something! Pick one thing you can do and go do it! Stop expecting the world to hand you the perfect moment! Take one day at a time and do… whatever helps. I don’t know, I’m a pigeon!!”
Hm. Some of that might be useable, but the amount she’d have to edit it…
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad you asked for my feelings on the matter.” The dove peered up at her. “It’s a huge relief to finally get this out of my crop. But really, I’m just a pigeon who happens to be white, who happens to live in a park with a statue of some human famous for… something to do with peace. I can’t read the plaques and humans don’t bother to explain things to me, they just want photos of me in the plaza.”
Wait. Waaait. What was that list Joshua had been banging on about?
“I’ve thought about moving, but… my family’s been in the area for generations, and I’m not convinced elsewhere would be better, so…”
Sofia found the email in question and leant forward, smile bright. “You mentioned wanting people to find ways to be active for World Peace Day.”
“Yeah, but I don’t-”
“One of my colleagues is actually drawing up a list of local organisations offering training and activities on the day. Would you be willing to lend your, um, status as a recognised peace symbol to endorsing their project?”
“Uh…” The dove bobbed her head, digesting this, then offered “Sure?”
Ok. Excellent. With a bit of heavy trim and polish this could at least be salvaged into a sidebar, and score points with Joshua in the process.
“Let me explain some of the orgs to you, see what you think.”
Hopefully something quotable.
“Don’t worry, I know you won’t have a, how to put this, expert opinion or anything. But you are a local resident, right? Your perspective could be insightful.”
“Oh, yes, I can do that!” The dove relaxed, her feathers settling. “As I said, my family have been in the area for generations, and of course I want to raise my chicks here too. I like to think of myself as heavily invested in the neighbourhood.”
“Perfect! Let’s see…”
Yes, there were plenty of orgs and activities here she’d expect an animal - at least a social one familiar with humans - to grasp. Excellent. See how many good grab quotes she could get.
Then once this interview was finished she’d look up the name of that “human famous for something to do with peace” and see if she could get her boss to sign-off on another seance. There would be a good scoop here somewhere, and she was going to find it.
That article (which Sofia had insisted be printed with only Joshua’s name on it) was the sole piece of Sofia’s work which ever went viral, to her great dismay. Inspirational quotes from it took local social media by storm, and the council even added a billboard to the park which proudly read “Pick one thing you can do and go do it!” above a host of local activities and appeals.
The “Peace Park Dove” was frequently seen leading people to the board, especially if they were distressed or depressed. Joshua forwarded an email from an animal wizard who reported the dove was very happy to now have a “way to use my symbolism to actually help”.
Meanwhile Sofia’s juicy “exclusive interview with famed local peace protester (from beyond the grave!)” languished at page six of the results.
But that was fine.
She’d got a lead on another groundbreaking interview…
Prompt was “Write from a dove’s point of view conveying how it feels about being a symbol of peace.”