Even the Sparrow does monstrous things
devouring the furry caterpillars in spring;
a slaughter of butterflies.
Yet the Sparrow chirps a song of love
sets the wooded glade in joyous tone,
delight to the morning air.
Beneath the rolling waves, dark waters cold;
tooth and fang, the fury of momentous survival
a tempest all aswirl fearless, driven.
Such is the way of this world, and all in it,
feeding time, so oft an act of cruelty,
men do far more than the Sparrow.
Oh, to be as the gentle honey bee
lighting flowers and cheerful yields
pollen for seeds, pretty faces smile
urgent aromas beckon;
apple blossoms, cherry reds, magnolia elegance,
pumpkin flowers, all beholdings welcoming,
for the honey bee makes the seas of grasses,
only as the house may stand,
as ever eyes have witnessed in time;
honey bee come sit on my hand, and wander,
you will not stay I know, your call is strong.
The world we know would wither without you,
and even the Sparrow would know that you were gone;
sadly gone from us, leaving a slaughter of butterflies.
Author notes
Bee populations have been decimated world wide in recent years.
A contest entry
- Abstract. Be different. by Trent plus pen.
650 points, ended July 3, 2007, 38 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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what an amazing contrast
in imagery... beautiful, peaceful scenes interrupted by harsh reality, still lovely in its brutality... an awesome portrayal of nature...
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The smallest thing in this world is worth saving, even an ant has its place and right to survive. You give us a lesson in the humility of being not so big in the scheme of things is still important. Love, C
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The little things in life are so important...yes even the bees. Loved the title...it really grabs the attention. This poem reminded me of how everything has its place in creation... a delight to read and very educational too.
~ Nicolette
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This is my second visit to this piece, I shall comment this time though
The AP women seem to have come into season and it's a hard job to get through them to read good poetry today! Ok, onto this poem. I think this is an excellent piece in its entirety. The imagery is good and the depth of your words force your audience to read, re-read and then contemplate its content - always a good thing. Climate changes, environment changes - all lend to the decreasing bee population, and they are such pretty creatures.
That last line has a haunting quality and vivid and stark reality. Glad I came back to re-read and comment, I love this piece. Well done with it and thank you for sharing. Laura
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"Such is the way of this world, and all in it,
feeding time, is an act of cruelty,
men do far more than the Sparrow."
"sadly gone from us, leaving a slaughter of butterflies."
These lines are impressive in their scope & depth. Your title drew me in. I agree with Kathleen about the word "beautiful" in the first stanza; although the alliteration is nice, it does cause one to stumble in reading & it seems an unnecessary distinction. The last line is more direct, more stark, & thus, more powerful in its brevity. What a stunning image. Good luck in the contest, Poet. Wanda
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I didn't know we had to worry about the bee population..now I feel really bad for killing one yesterday. sigh.
I love the line slaughter of butterflies; visually disturbing. The only word that struck me as unnecessary was in the first stanza, the word 'beautiful', another word perhaps or none? Just my opinion though.
Regardless, this was a sensory delight.
Excellent penning my friend.
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so you're the one! I read about this and it may really be nothing or not, we don't know, the butterfly line is a grabber; thanks for the edit...PK
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