The Bee Catcher

"Can l go oot and play yet granny"

Yesterday's stew brings comfort to my bones
the cat claws at lino before its quick nap
my jar sits empty fragmented in the light
l can already hear the bees' drowning moans

Balanced upon an old rocking chair
l reach for the jar with arms wide open
Blue skies above without the slightest care
the scent of jam brings a smile to my face

"Don't be late back son"

The force of the voice forces me onwards
Urges me up the hill like ol Jack and Jill
Hot tarmac burns holes in my shoes
tells stories of previous adventures

I skip onwards, frog-like from lily to grass
down steep paths using ferns for my balance
The taste twists my tongue
I'm almost there.....

The gate beyond the ridge is alien to its surroundings.
beam to beam the moss glows green
l crawl through a gap towards the towers

Pylons overheard
cast long mangled shadows
sculptures in this jungle buzzing like crickets
whisper sweet lethal nothings

Spinning meadows send me sideways
wildflowers twinned and battling for ground
l meander past invisible motorways
the bees' are homeward bound

Back they come to collect their sweet nectar
bags bursting full, they swell at the seams
It's time to get catching
before i'm standing under moonbeams

l've waited and waited for this summer's day

Jet streams above can't disturb my silence
the jar is poised and ready to strike
at first moves are slow like a mellow concerto
a gentle breeze relaxes my mind
flowers beneath me dancing in time

Air scent chokes the ether wind
and brings the van chimes into the fields'
the boisterous noise is cushioned
by pollen pockets in waiting

Drones sinking slowly
the chill takes me quickly
summer heightened by the shower
clouds gather to show their power

I stumble from my own private eden
jelly legged but full of freedom

This is my season
innocence without reason
the tall grass waves and sways goodbye

To this day
l wonder why
the lid slid open
and away they would fly
whiz past my head
back to the the hive
l think about that
from time to time
heavy on my iron lung
but still l was not stung