Poets United's Midweek Motif this week invites us to write of honey-bees.
The Extinction of the Bees
I used to take care,
placing my feet on
the clover-decked lawn.
You hummed everywhere
there, low to the ground,
a murmurous sound
quietly busy
before afternoon
’s warmth-induced swoon
when you reeled, dizzy
with honey and heat,
heavy and replete.
That was long ago
when I was a child –
the climate still mild
and what did we know
of changes we’d see
or losses to be?
My eightieth year
perceives your absence:
though colours and scents
still call to you here,
I’ve a bee-less garden.
Does God’s heart harden?
I cultivate weeds,
need miracles, pray.
Still you stay away.
Dandelion seeds
abound in my care
but their blooms are bare
of your many small
forms, collective song.
Oh, the world’s gone wrong!
Though I entice, call –
too little, too late ...
sealing our own fate.
I remember the care of childhood, watching where we step, and was reminded of it again at my Mom's house last weekend where the crab apple tree dropped its fruit and much rotted on the ground. Oh, the bees were drunk, flying all wobbly drunk, too drunk to sting, and nothing to pollinate! I don't remember seeing them in the spring dandelions. I fear their demise.
ReplyDeleteBee-loss is overwhelming in many parts of the world thanks to the mindless humans. May we again hear their collective song is our constant prayer.
ReplyDeleteKnowing some beekeepers in Tasmania I am aware of the continuing difficulty of maintaining swarm numbers in recent years, which may be about climate change rather than spreading of disease. Either way governments are not sympathetic enough to assist which is disappointing.
ReplyDeleteI've read so many of these extinction poems in the last few days, I had to stop to regain whatever hopeful positivity I could muster before reading on.
ReplyDeleteFine work, this one.
How sad to lose the buzz of the bumble bees
ReplyDeleteThis is heartwrenchingly beautiful, Rosemary!❤️ Especially resonate with; " Dandelion seeds
ReplyDeleteabound in my care but their blooms are bare of your many small forms, collective song. Oh, the world’s gone wrong!"
Sadly, bees of all types are in decline worldwide, as are many other insects. The familiar honeybee has suffered greatly...and this news not only breaks the heart, but there would be major rippling effects throughout ecosystems, and that scares me more! We are all battling to keep up with the changing face of our landscapes.
ReplyDeleteA thought provoking poem...beautiful.
The world has indeed gone wrong, and a song is faint. Wonderful, Rosemary, as are the photos.
ReplyDeleteOh so sad. Wonderfully written. I love the format, and the apostrophe s carried down a line. Cool.
ReplyDeleteThe world's gone wrong. for sure.
ReplyDeletea few years back I noticed very few bees in my flower garden. I must say this year is different - lots of butterflies and bees. We did move up the mountain, though. I enjoyed the reflective nature of this poem - I always like flash backs to childhood, though.
ReplyDelete