Goose tale

There is a large wetland area across the four-lane road near my home. Every spring, the Canada geese return from the south and set up housekeeping there. And, every year the widower returns to sit and wait for his mate beside the busy road. Six years ago, she was struck and killed in that exact spot.

The other geese have paired up and moved onto their nests. The fluffy little yellow goslings will appear soon, stopping traffic as they waddle across the road for the grass on the other side. But, the gander waits patiently for his chance to join in the rite of spring.  Every time I see him waiting there, I want to cry.

                                             gander
                                      sleek, handsome
                                   lonely, longing, patient
                                       loyalty incarnate                                 
                                            widower

The Canada goose mates for life, and the lifespan of a goose in the wild is 10 to 24 years. There are an estimated three million Canada geese in the country but they are widely hunted. So, there must be hundreds of thousands of geese that have lost a mate like that. It's a cruel world they live in.