COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER

Bees are dying mysteriously. A bee hive is one of the most sterlie places on earth and a sick bee will not contaminate the hive, taking itself off to die elsewhere. Audio version: http://snd.sc/HFpzOX

 

(Deep in hive where bee poet is addressing his sad Queen)

 

           Can but try

Do no good

          Can but try

They will not listen

          Can but try

They can not listen

          For the hive

My hive is dying

          For other hives

Will be no other hives

          Don't cry royal Queen

Who are you?

           But a bee

A dying bee

          Your loyal bee

My poet bee

          Say the word my Queen

I need you here

          What can I do?

Comfort me

           I will come back

No, you know you won't

          Perhaps not

We're dying, poet, all dying

          Don't cry Queen!

What else is there?

          Try to make them listen

They have no ears, poet

          I must try Queen

Then go poet, if go you must, fly to them!

          With your blessing?

With my blessing poet

          Gracious Queen!

I will miss you poet

          I will be back Queen

 No, poet, no

          But I must...go

I know, I know

          I will find one who will listen

I hope you do poet, hope you do

          Farewell Queen, may Summer's kiss...

Farewell sir poet, go. Go!

(exit)

 

(Deep in man's mind staring at face in mirror while shaving)

 

Right ear lobe to chin

Draw razor across face

To chin: three strokes...one, two...three

Rinse razor

Five or six lesser strokes beneath lower lip

Buzzing?

Left ear lobe to chin

One smooth stroke of blade

What IS that buzzing?

Pay attention

No nicks, not today of all days

Focus man

That EFFING buzzing!

February, frosty?

Central heating woken a sleeper

Rinse razor

Five strokes beneath nose

 

(Man flinches on glimpsing flight of insect in corner of eye, but being late, persists with shave until... Bee lands on head of electronic toothbrush standing on glass shelf beneath mirror. Man studies bee in amazement.)

 

How baroque!

And how you dance, sir bee, as bees are want.

Is that not so?

The dance of a bee?

Is this what I see?

The dance of a bee?

And how your antenna do twitch!

As if...

As if what?

Come on bee!

As if what?

 

(Bee falls from the toothbrush onto sink beside brushed steel tap, lands on back, struggles, lays still, struggles anew, turns a circle on his back, dies.)

 

Unbelievable!

What was that about bee?

 

(Man, now late, gingerly picks bee up by wingtip, holds up to examine closely.)

 

Amazing.

The death ... of a bee.

 

(Man drops bee into toilet, flushes toilet, looks round for towel, dries face.)

 

Audio version on soundcloud: http://snd.sc/HFpzOX

 

Author's Note

Audio verssio: http://snd.sc/HFpzOX

Reviews

[Bubo]

Orlando
awesome brain you have..........this is brilliant.............I felt sorry for the bee's in the first part, such sorrow........

Comfort me

I will come back

No, you know you won't

Perhaps not

We're dying poet, all dying

Don't cry Queen!

And I am not a fan of bee's, I had no idea hives were in trouble!
Then the twist of the distracted shaving man, who ponders, reflects no more as the bee is flushed away............I had no idea bee's won;t return to the hive if sick. So he came to die.
Such a sad piece, and thats amazing you made me think, and feel for a bee, feel sad!!
I will no doubt see bee's differently now.........
wonderful work.......loved the way you set this out, like a story, a play..........short life of a bee.

[*** Hey Jude***]

You amaze me with the way you give so much insight through your words!
Love my honey Bee's! Your Queen Bee grabbed my attention immediately, and I am drawn effortlessly, as I read your work. Such awesome detail! Thank you for this trip that brought smile, and thought. ~ :-)

[Ink Angel]

The dance of the bee ? love this also love the baroque, elobrate indeed, I love to watch the bee s on the Budlia s. Such a strong message, the imagery of the guy shaving and running late, and the demise of the poor bee, flushed away gone forever. Yes we need to wake up, no bee s no human race...........

[emmajoy]

In our part of the country so many hives have been lost, so much sadness, not merely at the loss of the honey, but that without the bees, life lessens, decreases and if left will gradually and surely die. You know that already.

Your extraordinarily placed phrases rush with love and caring, tell in a wondrous way. Yet, surely, have another story behind the words we read, there's an absencing of being, of something lost but not to be forgotten. Methinks?

[KATHY SUE SILLS]

Very intresting imagery of a life to a bee, very well penned!

[Amy Craig Beasley]

Just buzzing

do drones dance??

Gathering honey yesterday - to my astonishment - the wax moths moved in - the larva were eating the baby bees - the webs - suffocating - we hope the queen remains - we took the frames out with the moths - we hope the queen is fierce - a must ~
your poem is timely - and I love the connections beetween daily routine - that can be dangerous and the beeloss - did you floss - too???
must fly now - catch ya later - poet-man

[Hayley]

Wow, this was so unique and deep... I liked that you had background information for this piece; I had no idea. I've always admired the efficiency of bees and their cleanliness, their organization and legend. They're a lot like us in ways, with their loyalty and their duty.
The storyline only is reinforced and further deepened with the man in the morning- doing a simple yet timeless task, as the bee. A wonder, indeed.
Superb writing!

[KAREN]

Great imagery, nicely crafted peice of work.

[WhiteWillow]

As only you can do.

Amazing, inspiring, and much honey for thought.

[Tate Morgan]

IN THE UNITED STATES WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE ATTRIBUTABLE TO A FLY.NICE IDEA HERE

[joshua deathdealer]

I like the detail and the way the story is woven in. Brilliant work for sure.