The Bees and the Bushes

Posted on 2022/04/22 by Bartholomew Barker

For today’s prompt, write an organism poem.

The Bees and the Bushes

This bumble bee couldn’t care less
as I watch him work the blossoms.
I stretch my aging back and notice
there are dozens of bees bumbling.

Over the distant fields I see a flock
of starlings flying like an amoeba
reminding me of the school of fish
I swam near on a tropical snorkel.

We’ve got this all wrong— Individuality.
We’re more like cells in a culture
than islands in an archipelago.
I don’t care about your political beliefs,

your behavior affects the rest of us.
Even poets needs a workshop to thrive.

About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is one of the organizers of Living Poetry, a collection of poets and poetry lovers in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he makes money as a computer programmer to fund his poetry habit.

View all posts by Bartholomew Barker →

This entry was posted in Poetry and tagged bee, birds, fish, flock, individual, Poem-A-Day, politics, school. Bookmark the permalink.

11 Responses to The Bees and the Bushes

pensivepoetblog says:

2022/04/22 at 21:05

Love “work the blossoms” “dozens of bees bumbling” “flock of starlings flying like an amoeba”

I like the echo of the Simon and Garfunkel song that second and third stanza brings to me. I Am a Rock – I like the refutation of it. That we need each other. We’re part of a thing, an organism. Even surly poets. Is the use of ‘an’ rather than ‘a’ in front of culture intentional? That was my only nit.

Nice.

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2022/04/22 at 21:21
  
  Thanks! I’d forgotten about Paul Simon’s song. I was alluding to John Donne there but it’s a pretty obvious metaphor for community. And thanks for catching my typo!
  
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JeanMarie says:

2022/04/22 at 23:35

Yes! John Donne. When I saw Brewer’s prompt that famous line “no man is an island” came to mind and I looked it up. So I was today year’s old when I read about, and read the piece, Meditation 17 and discovered the famous line about bells tolling came from this as well. (Pats self on back.) If I wasn’t a poet I’d be a lot dumber than I am. ha ha

Nice work. In a few hundred years perhaps poets will be quoting “bees bumbling.”

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2022/04/23 at 00:04
  
  That’s fascinating that you got to “no man is an island” from his prompt. I must admit, it didn’t occur to me until I was well into the writing. Great minds…
  
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Whisperedwanderings says:

2022/04/23 at 22:11

Very nice.

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2022/04/23 at 22:14
  
  Thank you.
  
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berniebell1955 says:

2022/04/27 at 06:29

I’m going to witter a bit …..it’s something I have a bit of a bee in my bonnet about….to quote Robert Plant – ‘All are one and one is all’.

To quote me…. https://theorkneynews.scot/2017/11/13/how-i-see-the-whole-life-lovelightgodreiki-etc-etc-thing/

And…..to my way of seeing/thinking – there’s no such thing as an island……

https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/12/06/islands/

Welcome to The Orkney News – I very much hope that you send more contributions.

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2022/04/27 at 16:37
  
  Thank you very much. I’ll start bothering you with more of my stuff.
  
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Susi Bocks says:

2022/05/07 at 20:26

Loved that second stanza, great descriptions, Bart.

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2022/05/07 at 21:50
  
  Thanks, Susi!
  
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  - Susi Bocks says:
    
    2022/05/08 at 00:10
    
    You’re welcome, dear! :)
    
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