When a bee swarm descends
whole towns fall silent
the bending shape of six thousand
gold bodies is an
old hypnosis
watch as the queen becomes
too heavy to fly
as the workers sing a language
too small to hear
as they seek a temporary home
of any nervous beast
I watch from the lobby floor
as they settle for me
soar into my open, weeping mouth
take refuge in the flush pasture
of my throat
the medics ask my name
I can only shake, whir out the sound
of chitin wings
the firemen holding my head
ask for my heart to slow
breathe loud and deep, all ten of them
watch my lips for mimicry
find only honeyspill
when my eyes roll back
I hear the colony begin to lift
& I am stung by the wanting noise
that rushes back in.
CarnivalDark 