Bee eaters

Gold cherry

By onemorething

Sun, 05 Jul 2020
  • 3422 reads
11 comments
 

A diet of hornets and wasps

requires a strong stomach,

even with stings removed

they burn an angry path 

to the gut, a fury of toxin

that suspends all other emotion

just as I am learning how to cry.

Here is the mercy of a god:

here are the sins of fathers,

of mothers, a lifetime

of Apollonian submission,

a votive ram's head - 

there are prices to be paid,

but not yet death. Instead,

they squabble along sandbanks

in slanging matches 

of questionable family dynamics,

offer apologies of bees

to one another, learn how to cry.

 

Image is from pixabay. Image also on Twitter is here: 

https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guerin_plate_194_Guenon_-_Guepe_-_Guepier;_Bee-eater,_bee%27s_nest,_green_monkey.jpg

Nice bickering video if you're interested: 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4AakcqFzcu8

Certificate U
Poem
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Comments

Submitted by drew_gummerson on

Loved both it and the video. 'apologies of bees' is lovely. 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Oh good, thank you! And thanks for the cherries. :)

 

Submitted by littleditty on

awesome - a very good poem, anger/sadness - eating bees and hornets sounds dumb ulcers, pin prick ouches, the bee offerings at the end...self realisation in the spoon full of honey perhaps. Squabbles you describe, the flailing, some ugly, some paranoid, the burps of wasp or hornet? Im half listening to Stephen Fry do the myths -need to listen again. It's brill.So's this poem. Good read x

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Thanks! Yes, anger can sometimes overwhelm everything else, I was thinking. Like eating wasps. Hadn't thought of honeyed apologies, that's lovely. Apparently, because they live in family groups there are lots of arguments, nest stealing and emotional blackmail (for bee treats) that goes on. Yes, Mythos, is very good. Don't remember this tale of being turned into a bee eater by Apollo being in it though, but perhaps it is. Thanks for reading, glad you enjoyed. x

 

Submitted by littleditty on

should i reckon - :)

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Oh, it already does. Botres, son of Eumelus tastes some of a ram's brain that was intended as part of an offering to Apollo. Father is enraged, kills son, Apollo, merciful, brings him back to life, but as a bee eater. Just too minor a tale for Mythos, I would imagine, but it might be in there, I haven't read it in a while. 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I like "apologies of bees" too! They look like kingfishers do you think?

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Yes, in reverse, russet on top, blue-bellied. Glad you liked the bee apologies, I think it's amusing how they offer one another bees - precious gifts. Thanks for reading it, Di. :)

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

kind of like swapping hand grenades :0)

 

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Birds. So much inspiration. A complex and fascinating poem, onemorething. Your allusion will have me scooting off to find out. I watched the video. My parents. Fish & chips handed over, slightly cold from a detour. Very nicely done.

Parson Thru

Submitted by onemorething on

Cold fish and chips from the detour - perfect! Glad you liked it, thanks for reading it. And yes, have a look for the tale, it's an interesting one. I particularly like the myths of people turned into creatures by gods. Rachel :)