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rumor has it that the honey bee population is in decline


rumor has it that the honey bee population is in decline

a palindrome

Photo: ars.usda.gov

Photo: ars.usda.gov

the bees and i share stories
as we flirt with pink primrose blooms.
we tease lavender—fragrant and seductive.
(gardening comes easy in the company of friends.)
today, the bees are abuzz.

today, the bees are abuzz.
(gardening comes easy in the company of friends.)
we tease lavender—fragrant and seductive
as we flirt with pink primrose blooms.
the bees and i share stories.

Thanks to Mary over at dVerse Meeting the Bar for sharing this fun form–a palindrome or mirror poem. You will notice that the second stanza is the reverse of the first. Try one of your own and join us at the pub!

49 thoughts on “rumor has it that the honey bee population is in decline”

  1. claudia says:
    June 16, 2015 at 8:24 PM

    it’s sad to hear that they’re about to decline – and again it’s our fault – ugh
    they’re such a lovely company in the garden and we recently got some fresh honey from a colleague who holds bees – it’s excellent

    Like

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  2. mishunderstood says:
    June 14, 2015 at 9:38 PM

    Harmonious with the bees…what a lovely thought for this piece.

    Like

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  3. Candy says:
    June 12, 2015 at 4:59 PM

    the bees and I share stories – I love it!

    Liked by 1 person

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  4. Vagrant Rhodia says:
    June 12, 2015 at 12:44 PM

    Love the connection between art and global issues. The two poems connected cements how dependent we are on each other to survive.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. katiemiafrederick says:
    June 12, 2015 at 10:21 AM

    (:..Bees are we.. without..
    life.. in grains of corn..
    seed of life.. buzz wings of glory..
    glory of wings buzz.. life of seed..
    corn of grains in.. life..
    without.. we are Bees..:)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. scillagrace says:
    June 12, 2015 at 7:51 AM

    Sadly not just a rumor. Providing pesticide-free “safe” zones and corridors for pollinators is a help. The pollinator “cattle” that are shipped to agricultural centers are the most at risk. Imagine the life of a “cattle” bee that escapes to a lovely, small, organic garden and meets other healthy bees. Does he join them? If so, does he introduce toxins to their colony? No easy answers.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Victoria C. Slotto says:
      June 12, 2015 at 10:25 AM

      I don’t know if you’ve read Kinsolver’s “Flight Risk” that deals with monarch butterflies. While it’s fiction, it also highlights a similar menace. Quite scary, really.

      Liked by 1 person

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      • scillagrace says:
        June 12, 2015 at 3:24 PM

        I love Barbara Kingsolver; I’ll have to find myself a copy of Flight Behavior (I looked it up to check – editor’s note 😉 )

        Like

      • Victoria C. Slotto says:
        June 12, 2015 at 6:05 PM

        I’m listening to the CD for the second time (15 hours) read by the author. It’s set in Tennessee and as she’s from the South she reads it so well. Lots of science in it–a scientist who’s studying their abherrant (sig) migration behaviors related to climate change.The story is an extented metaphor for what is happening in her life. Quite powerful.

        Like

  7. lynn__ says:
    June 12, 2015 at 6:34 AM

    What pretty stories you and the buzzing bees share in your beautiful flower garden! They like the clover in our farm lawn too 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. DELL CLOVER says:
    June 11, 2015 at 10:10 PM

    I like the idea of you whispering with the bees, Victoria–a bit of whimsy and serious talk too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. vandaan says:
    June 11, 2015 at 9:48 PM

    Such damage we have done to the nature.

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  10. Sumana Roy says:
    June 11, 2015 at 9:27 PM

    love that sketch of happiness with bees and pink primrose…hope such joy is found in every corner of this planet…a lovely palindrome Victoria 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. kanzensakura says:
    June 11, 2015 at 9:02 PM

    My yard is awash in honeybees! There are patches of lawn my husband is forbidden to cut because it is so rich in red and white clover. the poor bees have it tough enough as it is. We too have shared stories and I can tell you, they are grateful to those of us who care and do what we can for them. Wonderful, wonderful poem.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. kaykuala h says:
    June 11, 2015 at 7:01 PM

    Gets frightening! It is reality given the amount and frequency of toxic insecticides dumped everyday. No bees no pollination no food! Great for highlighting it Victoria!

    Hank

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  13. Jamie Dedes says:
    June 11, 2015 at 4:53 PM

    Well done. Made me smile. Funny I was thinking of bees today. There are quite a few around the heather and that would be a good thing. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  14. Snakypoet (Rosemary Nissen-Wade) says:
    June 11, 2015 at 3:55 PM

    That’s beautiful! You have quite transcended the form. I love the idea of you and the bees sharing stories. You have created a peaceful garden, in verse as well as in the ground. Saving the bees is a cause very close to my heart – so important!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  15. Grace says:
    June 11, 2015 at 3:20 PM

    I love the imagery of the bees and you sharing stories ~ Gardening is easy in the company of friends ~ I heard those rumours too Victoria ~

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  16. Lorna's Voice says:
    June 11, 2015 at 2:03 PM

    I know the bees are in danger–bats, too. So many species. But I’m super allergic to bee stings. Got stung last year on my upper thigh and nearly my whole leg swelled. Could hardly bend my knee. Very scary. I like bees, but my body doesn’t. I also liked your poem. So fanciful and full of pleasant fragrances… 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. Glenn Buttkus says:
    June 11, 2015 at 1:33 PM

    As with every other act of kindness & compassion, it all starts with a selfless act, & hopefully blossoms into an avalanche of good. Your mirrored piece is pitch perfect. I chose the type with the shared line in the middle. Your comment on my site, as always, was loving & astute; hugs to you & yours.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. X says:
    June 11, 2015 at 1:16 PM

    Ha. Sounds like you had some fun in the garden, and shared it with some buzzy friends. We have wood bees that for whatever reason go after the flower boxes on front of the house every summer. They never get very far on them, but it is fun to listen to them trying.

    Liked by 1 person

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  19. annell4 says:
    June 11, 2015 at 12:46 PM

    I am glad to see them at work, and worry about them, too!

    Liked by 1 person

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  20. Gabriella says:
    June 11, 2015 at 12:32 PM

    I loved hearing your voice through the garden activity, yours and that of the bees. Everybody knows the bees are slowly dying but I am not aware that much is done to change the course of events.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  21. Mary says:
    June 11, 2015 at 12:27 PM

    I really like the progression of your poem. The palindrome form, as you used it, works very well. I am sure that the bees at this time of year have a lot of interesting stories to tell. Smiles!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  22. Björn Rudberg (brudberg) says:
    June 11, 2015 at 12:20 PM

    I love to have bees as my helper in the garden.. I would love it even more if i had an orchard, I’m so glad they are still where you are. I have heard that it’s some pesticide that should be blamed for the decline.

    Liked by 1 person

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