Preparing to begin

They’re returning to the nest
Although there’s no nest yet
Just a box, high up on a wall
Cleaned and ready for them
Just one so far, flitting in and out
No twig in its beak
Doing a recce maybe
Scoping it out
Last year’s nest is long gone
Along with empty shells
Little ones all grown and flown
No sad skeletons left behind
No tiny bodies on the earth beneath
A successful hatch
The world turns
The adult pair prepare to begin again
The cycle continues