Haley & I

A poem about childhood and the fragile nature of innocence, taken from my recent publication "The Piano".

Haley and I
used to catch honeybees
on the playground,
and keep each
buzzing body prisoner
in grade school
plastic
pencil
sharpeners.

With innocent hands -
pervasive chubby fingers,
we'd invade
patches of clover
and white wild flowers
in search
of those elusive insects
to capture
and keep
as our pets.

In the midst of
kickball games,
swing sets,
and jungle gyms
we'd set out on the hunt,
holding sacred
each trembling bee body
we touched.

Even as young as six,
I knew Haley was different.

Though I was tall for my age,
I don't think her nose
could reach
my chest.

I didn't have many friends.

Haley and I -
we held sacred
those mysterious workings of bees,
as well as
the innocent wanderings
our own
imaginations.

We caught honeybees -
Haley and I,
and kept them safe
in grade school
plastic
pencil
sharpeners.

One time,
instead of freeing them
on the playground
as we always did -
we brought our new found friends
back
to the class
with us.

Haley's pencil sharpener
was bright
hot
pink,
the day
we played
with the microscope.

Teacher . . .

Teacher . . .

placed the little slides
upon the
white
hot
glass

and I wanted to scream!

But upon the brightness
could only blink -
blink
as the students
began
to sing -

        "He and Haley have honeybees."

        "Can’t we see them on the glass?"

So they did . . .

So they did . . .

demand surrender
and Haley and I
were forced to offer -
offer up
our honeybees.

Teacher . . .

Teacher . . .

tore off their tiny wings
and placed each severed extremity
upon the glass.

When I looked -
looked into the microscope,
the wings became
dead veins on translucent leaves.

Small and
crystalline.

Reviews

[Delicate Grace]

Now i want to cry...

I caught ladybugs when I was little, kept them in the tube the mini m&m's come in. I loved those little bugs, but I forgot to let them go on day after coming in for lunch...left inside, trapped overnight. They all died. When I dumped them out on the portch railing, they looked like the m&m's they had replaced, just as lifless and just as small...only they were looked upon with tears.

I haven't thought of those ladybugs in a very long time...though your story seems to be much worse than mine. School children can be so heartless sometimes. Part of me finds it ostounding that your teacher would do something like that, but the rest of me knows they do so much worse.

This was a very touching poem, beautifully written and provides a little window into you for the reader.

It's really great to be able to share these things with you!
:D

[Richard D. McGehee]

That was great! Poor bee losing its wings! How morbidly delightful! Lol Well written!

[EVERYTHINGyoucantelltoS..]

those last two lines were so rhythmic. I like the pattern here, especially the repetition of "Haley and I". The space on the page well used, also, with the stanza breaks and punctuation. Second reading was even better.

[Adam McWhorter]

I loved your review Grace... Sounds like we have some pretty similar stories. The thing about my writing I've begun to notice is that it's confessional of course, but I tend to elaborate things especially associated with my early childhood. Either because my memory is fractured from drug use, or I'm just making some stories more colorful for some subconcious reason... Maybe the tore the wings off the living bees because I wanted the reader to be as horrified and repulsed and sad as I felt as a small child. Yeah... That's the only part I feel somewhat obligated to tell you isn't true. I don't think... I'm pretty sure most of, if not all of the bees died before they were mutilated. They were honeybees was they were probably trying to sting us, the inside of the pencil sharpener, etc... And of course that kills them. Or did another classmate squash one?... F**k it. It's the drugs. Don't listen to me. Lol. Thanks for the lovely review sweetness ;)

[Erotic Goddess]

Another beautiful memory well-penned and shared. You write very well.

xxoxx

[Abhinav]

lovely poem...innocent and beautiful

[Angelheaded Hipster]

Its interesting what stays with us as we grow older, and this is a memory that wont go very far from you, will it? Your writing draws me in and keeps me there, and even writing about a childhood memory of bees...theres a sensuality to the memory...

[Deaths Cold Kiss]

another excellent write