BEE MOVIE

Reflections on what my true role in Society may be...OR NOT!!

BEE MOVIE

(Please note, I called my poem this, WAY before those
other guys called their movie did!)

I am glad I'm not a Bee:
I would not EVER choose to be!
A life of Indolence, sweet,
Waited upon, all six feet;

Covetable, the life of a Drone,
UNTIL presented at the Throne
Given in Marriage, but no Prince, I�
FOR THEN I DIE!!

And as I draw my last bee-breath,
Pondering my ignominious death,
I think, "How appropriate that sex is all:
"My only function, and my downfall!"

Of all Earth's species, Humans alone
Allow their males to pretend to the throne;
How tougher, then, for the human male,
Since EVERY female has a sting in her tail!

Methinks my playacting they're tolerating
'Til I fulfill my procreating,
Thence, into slow, purposeless death to fall:
WAIT! It seems I'm only a drone after all!

October 22, 1988

Author's Note

My sincere apologies to previous reviewers. I had been trying without success for over an hour to get this offering to publish properly, without underscore, boldface, et al, until finally I had to delete the entire thing and start over; regrettably, the reviews went with it.

Reviews

[Rick Puetter]

Dear Mark,

Ah, the war of the sexes! Oh the poor drone. This gives "love 'em and leave 'em" a whole new meaning.

This piece made me think immediately of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew" and the exchange between Petruchio and Katherine in the first scene of Act 2:

PETRUCHIO
Come, come, you wasp. I' faith, you are too angry.

KATHERINE
If I be waspish, best beware my sting.

PETRUCHIO
My remedy is then to pluck it out.

KATHERINE
Ay, if the fool could find it where it lies.

PETRUCHIO
Who knows not where a wasp does wear his sting?
In his tail.

Again, a very nice piece, Mark. Who has the upper hand? In the Bee kingdom, it is certainly not the drone. But who is it in the world of men? That's not so obvious. Perhaps we men are pure puppets of the ladies. Perhaps we are, as you suggest, only drones.

Best regards,

Rick

[emmajoy]

Oh my, what cynical - 'Since EVERY female has a sting in her tail! ' - sensitive creatures you men are! There are a few of the fairer sex who appreciate you for what and who you are .. why, some of us women treat you with great respect, admiration and all that. Well, most of the time!

Having said that ... this rhyme made me laugh, smile and giggle!

So Mark, bee calm, beehave yourself, bee happy!

[Ama May Cooper]

How interesting the rhyme and beat of the poem adding a flow and what a equally humourous but sensitive piece. I rather liked this a lot...a great story

[Poeticpiers]

Loved the wry humour Of course the malebecomes superfluos after he has done his bit Unless the queen decrees otherwise

[Samuel Dickens]

Boy, those bees sound a lot like humans. Like thorns and roses, other pretty things come with stingers attached, too. I forget what silly movie it was, but the old guy told the young ones "Watch out for those girls, fellows--they only want your man-juice!" Drones, male black widows, male praying mantises, male humans--see a pattern here?

[John Stussy]

First time seeing this poem, and I applaud it! Your illustration of a bee's life buzzes as deftly as your topic. Makes me wonder how truly different we are as inhabitants of this world, life does tend to take on a monotonous tone like that. Go to work, go home, chill with family, sleep, wake up, do it again. Great job on this, and those femmes most definitely do have a sting to them haha.