I’ll describe how bees used to arrive
out of hibernation when it was warm,
every summer, leave pollen on
every wildflower in the backyard
flying, buzzing, landing on yellow dandelions,
or pink clover and small white flowers
full of nectar, bright, dusty pollen on their legs,
they especially adored the purple lilac bush
I’ll explain how we used to get honey
from bees, how thick gold amber poured
from the bowl, how sweet the taste
of morning was with honey, toast and coffee
how bees lived in hives, ground holes or wood
all about honeycombs, where they store honey and pollen,
I’ll explain how important the queen bee was
and how all the workers served her
I’ll explain how the western honey bee
pollinated wild plants all over the world,
how global crops depend on pollination
on every continent, except the frozen South pole.
