COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER

COLONY COLLAPSE DISORDER

A Poem by R J Askew
"

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

 

© 2012 R J Askew


Author's Note

R J Askew
Audio verssio: http://snd.sc/HFpzOX

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Featured Review

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.

This review was written for a previous version of this writing

Posted 16 Years Ago


8 of 8 people found this review constructive.




Reviews

Awesome imagery

Posted 11 Years Ago


This is so deep and complex of a story. It holds meaning to every aspect of life and death. There are so many points in this that you could take to heart..lessons learned, thoughts provoked. You Sir, are brilliant..xo

Posted 11 Years Ago


Humor and beauty, sadness and despair... wonderfully woven together.

Posted 11 Years Ago


WE SEE THEM BUZZING AROUND .. WE IGNORE. OR WE RUN .. BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN TOLD TO DO SO .. BUT THEY HAVE MORE REASON TO FEAR .. FOR THE ANNIHILATION COMETH .. A WORLD OF SECRET LANGUAGE .. WITHIN A WORLD, SUFFERS A SILENT END .. SAD ..

I LOVE THE FORMAT .. I HERE THE BUZZING ..

WELL DONE .. JASMINE

Posted 11 Years Ago


you Ron...really outdid yourself here. When I read stuff like this. I feel like an amatuer at best. The life and metaphor of a bee....how fallible this bee is....like us humans. The Queen holding the hive together..being lost without her. I feel this way about my kids...little drones...they would be lost without my guidance. And this brave bee...she flies away to die with dignity. She was lucky..this bee...to find you. You had sympathy for her..and you even gave her a proper burial...

This is easily one of your most brilliant writes. It was more than poetry. This was a dance of death. Bowing at your feet I am.....

Posted 11 Years Ago


I love it! Write more please!

Posted 11 Years Ago


I have been wondering for a long while why the bees are dying and I had the thought that it was the pesticides that we use.

I love most of all in this piece the fact that you dropped out of bees story into the everyday household of a man doing what men do regularly. Then the bee shows up. That was extremely clever. It caught me off guard and I liked it.

Posted 11 Years Ago


Yes! Love the rhythm and the flow here and def very creative and unique. Just brilliance!

Posted 11 Years Ago


Wow. This just blew me away. This was outstanding. I kinda feel sorry for the bee if you ask me. However, the piece is beatufilly written, and can be percieved in many ways :3

Posted 11 Years Ago


I don't know why but I'm laughing so hard right now! XD
This amuzes my soul =P

Posted 11 Years Ago



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68 Reviews
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Shelved in 8 Libraries
Added on February 21, 2008
Last Updated on April 13, 2012

Author

R J Askew
R J Askew

United Kingdom



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