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My grandmother was the first of us taken by hornets. Rumors had warned us, posters had warned us, even our own TVs: “They can chase a person a quarter of a mile,” “They kill 1,000 people a year,” “They have killed horses,” “They have killed elephants,” “Any given attacker willContinue Reading

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The beekeeper knows that he is above other people because he is keeping a species alive which faces extinction. The beekeeper knows he is above other people because he is keeping a species alive with 20,000 variants. The beekeeper knows he is above other people because he is able toContinue Reading

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There was a legend that one hundred years ago our population was cut in half when a cloud of creatures descended from the sky, set down upon our village, and drove our people into madness. It was a story told to children. “The Night of the Swarmed Eclipse.” “The MillionsContinue Reading

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Sitting with bees, Irrepressible energy hums like the sun Poured into Spring’s burgeoning blossoming. Honeyed sweetness is gathered in quickness, But, Ah! It’s been cold for them now. Many have drowned in a late April hail, And each day they drop out their dead To the doorstep. I am stunnedContinue Reading

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When bees are born, we’re told we have a singular purpose: to serve the colony. Worker or drone, our job is to make sure the future of the colony is secure. In plain terms, we exist to support the queen. And if she ever stops doing what her singular purposeContinue Reading

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Sisters,I would not unwild younor attempt to keep. Look at your wings! Say gossamer& have it be too thicka word for the whir of you! Some fool men define your liquor asdistillation of fallen rainbows, they say,constellations made dew you gather, but I know better- how females strive, orchard orContinue Reading

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The keepers mourned & the people asked what happens when the buzz is gone…where the apples, how the melons, can pickles be replaced? Everyone concerned wanted a conversation & talk is the opposite of observation. Consider the patience of a man seeking to understand the messages of bees, comprehend stepsContinue Reading

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Estranged from my family, I was surprised at the call.“Master Anders?” said the voice. There was a distinct buzzing, what might have been electrical interference or perhaps–“Yes? Yes? Hello,” I said. “Yes. This is Anders. Hello?”The voice on the line began a coughing fit. He had covered the receiver withContinue Reading