Monday 27 July 2020

Busy as Bees


We were literally a hive of activity this week as we reflected on a sculpture by one of Artsenta's artists. This bee themed book sculpture by Trina was used as a prompt for our writing group. Firstly we were tasked with just describing what we could see in as much detail as we could manage. Then we wrote a second poem that included a more personal response to the object and what it might tell us or provoke in us. Thanks for the inspiration Trina!



DESCRIPTION:

The hexagonal hive sprays forth
a dozen
full flight, flapping (single wings).
Lozenge shapes loft (yellow, brown, orange, green)
over pale petals,
flowers written to the words of Only Love.

Page two hundred parts from two-oh-one (a separate leaf)
where woven ink-black ribbon divides
hive from flower.
Silvered soloist drones its double wings to its own tune.
Lost words in hexagons
replaced by floral foreign text.



INTERPRETATION:

Research
A hive is solidly geometric
Strangers not welcome.
Research is defined, with open boundaries
a droning, buzzing reality
a tight framework of knowledge,
in the open paddock of the unknown.
Workers bringing in facts as food, for storage;
Building, building a wall of interlocking pieces,
food of the next generation.

-Kate Jenkins



DESCRIPTION:

Pages of paper
An open book
Flowers a plenty
So take a look.

The hive sits waiting
Bees flying near
Some coated in pollen
Like clothing they wear.

Some lie nearby
Alive or dead?
We cannot tell
Till they raise their heads.



INTERPRETATION:

`Busy, busy, busy'

Busy as a bee
So the saying goes
Busy in the sun
Or rain, hail, or snow.

From flower to flower
They flit each day
Picking up pollen
As they go on their merry way.

We love them for their honey
But fear them for their sting
Something they only use
When frightened by something.

We steal the honey
They make for their queen
No wonder they get annoyed
When we take all we can glean.

As we kill them with poison
We forget that they provide
An easy way to fertilise
As they spread pollen far and wide.

Without the bees
And other insects flying through
We would not have the crops
That provide food for me and you.

- Christine Philp



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