The Inquisitive Bee by Mark Spencer

Once upon a fairytale,
Was born a baby bee,
And life’s mysteries filled him
With curiosity.

He had so many questions,
Like: why was he alive?
He’d made himself a nuisance,
The black sheep of the hive.

One day there came a hornet,
During Fall migration,
Who attacked the peaceful hive
Without provocation.

The young bee’s fellow workers
Met the hornet’s attack,
He watched them fight with honor,
Driving the monster back.

But the loss of life was great,
Many bees paid the price,
Never once hesitating
To make this sacrifice.

Yet the inquisitive bee
Could only wonder why.
Why fight if a single sting
Could cause each bee to die?

He went searching for answers,
To explain what he’d seen.
He questioned every worker,
And even asked the queen.

What is the point of fighting
If lives are always lost?
Could this battle have been worth
Such a terrible cost?

When the queen shared her answer,
He didn’t understand.
She said “many more would die
If none dare take a stand.”

“For every bee in the hive
Would feel the hornet’s bite,
Had the few who lost their lives
Been unwilling to fight.”

So the inquisitive bee
Decided to depart.
If fighting was the answer,
Then he would have no part.

“I’d rather keep my stinger,”
Was his only reply.
“If we don’t provoke hornets
Nobody has to die.”

So he packed up his honey,
And abandoned the hive.
The queen’s warring attitude,
Meant he might not survive.

So he set out on his own,
In search of some place nice.
But no matter where he looked,
He found no paradise.

He was nearly killed by wasps,
Attacked by hornets twice,
A bullfrog tried to eat him,
And he was chased by mice.

So the inquisitive bee
Decided to return.
He would go back to the queen
And tell her what he learned.

He heard the sounds of battle,
As he approached the hive.
He wondered about the queen,
If she was still alive.

Besieged by a dragonfly,
The bees were trapped inside.
He could see, upon approach,
Some had already died.

He surprised the dragonfly,
And stung him in the back.
That moment of distraction
Gave them room to attack.

The dragonfly was beaten,
And as he turned to flee,
The queen came to the side of
The inquisitive bee.

He said: “I know the answer
That is why I’ve returned.
Because I’d like you to know
The lessons I have learned.”

“But my time here has ended.
My queen, please take my hand,
Be comforted in knowing,
I finally understand...”

Megan (24.144.58.66) -- Tuesday, June 6 2006, 04:45 am

Oh that's too cute!
I love this story!! It's sad, but there's so much meaning! Thanks for the wonderful read.

MC (205.188.117.65) -- Wednesday, June 7 2006, 03:05 pm

Well Done
you said it all, without saying "it" at all. Outstanding. I hope others get your drift. Thanks for a great write.

capricorn (82.36.128.180) -- Saturday, June 10 2006, 04:44 pm

great
Hey ... this is really good, you should try and get it published in a children's magazine.

Bipedalguy (4.156.51.249) -- Thursday, June 15 2006, 01:02 am

The message is clear.
This clearly conveys an important message, in clever poetic form, in language that even I couldn't fail to understand. I wish I could write like that.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: All Rights Reserved. No part of this website, including all pictures and written words, may be reproduced or copied in any manner from this website without permission of the original author of the work. All poetry and pictures herein remain the sole property of the original author and/or copyright owner. All poetry on this website has been submitted by the original author of the work. To contact any author of the work please e-mail: dreamer@dreamersreality.com so the proper person may be notified.