This is not a factory
a socially structured mass of ONE
the living organism view overlaid
as human paradise, if only…
I’d walk through amber walls
exactitude of hexagon, tessellated to infinity
as needs must, as decreed by queens.
Imbibe potpourri scents secreted here
flowers of field and hedgerow
– elixir and dust. Sip water siphoned
from depthless pools that cool
and liquefy the honeyed crystals
wrapped in wax.
A myriad iridescent wings
dulled by shade soak up the spectrum,
dot to dot each sortie traced
and compassed by the sun. We hear the hum
imagining the beat of ailerons
it is the daily concert
of harvesters, an upbeat festival of feast
before the want of winter.
Mish prompts us to take an object and write about it subjectively, beginning with “This is not a ______”. A beehive came to mind immediately, I'm not sure why so I went with this for "Object Poems"
PoetryPix 
Oh, thats brilliant!
thank you!
Love your imagery in this Laura, gives me another perspective of the honey I enjoy
that’s good to hear and reassuring to think the subjectivity worked as was not sure
it does indeed, you excelled
“I’d walk through amber walls
exactitude of hexagon” – Oh! Nice!
happy to hear you enjoyed the walk 😉
Thanks for taking me inside with you, Laura. Best hive tour I’ve ever had. Awesome work.
many thanks Ron for taking the tessellated tour
This is such a beautiful description of one of nature’s true wonders 🐝
many thanks Ingrid p.s. I like the new avatar
Thank you 🙏
A wonderful poem that describes a working hive so well. Your images are great…
We hear the hum
imagining the beat of ailerons
it is the daily concert
of harvesters
thank you Dwight for listening!
You are welcome!
A nearby park has a beehive with one glass wall so that it is possible to observe the machination of honey-making. It is absolutely fascinating. Queendom is a good word choice!
it was a less obvious giveaway from the outset!
Sounds enticing – a sweet paradise.
You picked up on lithe sounds 😉
Wow! This is so original Laura- beautiful.
Thank you for Linda – was not sure I’d quite got the spirit of the prompt
I know a beekeeper who would appreciate this poem, Laura! As a lover of bees, their gentle hum, their contribution to the world, I love the ‘potpourri scents secreted here / flowers of field and hedgerow’, the ‘myriad iridescent wings / dulled by shade… dot to dot each sortie traced / and compassed by the sun’, and the ‘daily concert / of harvesters, an upbeat festival of feast / before the want of winter’.
Many thanks Kim for such appreciation
Magnificent rendering, Laura. A sensory extravaganza!
thanks honey!!
bzzzzzz you’re welcome!
I love that you went with your gut on this one, not knowing why…with stunning results. You’ve made me see beehives in a whole different light.
thank you for the prompt Mish – was unsure of this one but entered the hive!
We hear the hum…
it is the daily concert
of harvesters, an upbeat festival of feast
before the want of winter. So beautiful through a queen’s eyes.
many thanks Debi
What a lovely coincidence ~~ our mailman just delivered two jars of Tupelo raw honey ~~ Cheers!
how sweet!
This was wonderful Laura. You took me somewhere so fascinating. Thank you! ☺️
thank you Christine – it’s becauseI dislike the factory view that we humans impose on bees
I do too Laura ☺️
Bees always inspire conflicting feelings. But the hive is a complex social structure of delight. Amber walls is such a magical image. (K)
thank you – had to really kick-start my imagination here!
I love how all of a sudden my brain switched on, and realised this is about a queen bee! Delightful.
thank you Misky – since it was a ‘this is not a” poem I held out for revelation of this floriferous hive of geometry, sweetness and singing
It was great fun to read.
I do love how the hive looks from the queen’s perspective… not a factory indeed (rather she’s surrounded by her children)
subjective as her subjects?!
Brilliant idea and imagery – I love this!
many thanks Leslie