Friday, February 8, 2019

Winter Bee Surprise

It was an ordinary winter day. I walked into the kitchen to do ordinary tasks when I saw something from the corner of my eye. I could hardly believe it. Walking on the rim of my large pot was a yellow bee. Quietly, I gasped. I watched in wonder and then, quickly went into fear mode. It sounds odd but it was just seven months ago when I got a big surprise. I encountered a hive of yellow jackets in my backyard-Ouch

Fast forward to this week of professional development and I decided to feature my story to stir wonder in others. Why was a bee in my kitchen? I turned to Wonderopolis' Wonder of the Day #51


Then, I found Naomi Shihab Nye's poem, chose a strike line, and retold my story throguh a golden shovel poem.

Bees Were Better by Naomi Shihab Nye

In college, people were always breaking up.
We broke up in parking lots,
beside fountains.
Two people broke up
across a table from me
at the library.
I could not sit at that table again
though I did not know them.
I studied bees, who were able
to convey messages through dancing
and could find their ways
home to their hives
even if someone put up a blockade of sheets
and boards and wire.
Bees had radar in their wings and brains
that humans could barely understand.
I wrote a paper proclaiming
their brilliance and superiority
and revised it at a small café
featuring wooden hive-shaped honey-dippers
in silver honeypots
at every table.
Poem copyright ©2008 by Naomi Shihab Nye, “Bees Were Better,” from If Bees Are Few: A Hive of Bee Poems, Ed., James P. Lenfestey, (University of Minnesota Press, 2016). Poem reprinted by permission of Naomi Shihab Nye and the publisher.

From Strike Line:
"I studied bees, who were able
to convey messages through dancing"

To: Golden Shovel

It happened quickly, as I
Was washing dishes. I studied
Him wondering where other bees
Were hidden, those who
Knew how to attack, were
Destined to persist, and able
Enough to target me as food to
Sup on. I slowly approached to convey
My thoughts on his presence. Messages
Were sent out through
Multiple swipings as he continued dancing.
©CVarsalona, 2019


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Each Friday, I  join my poetry friends for Poetry Friday. Today, children's poet Laura Purdie Salas is the Poetry Friday Roundup host at her blog site, Writing the World for Kids


26 comments:

  1. This is wonderful, Carol! Both the Wonderopolis content and the poem. Yay for winter bees dancing. xo

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    1. Irene, thanks for joining me today in looking at winter bees. I found some other interesting links on bees. I never knew they were active in winter on Long Island.

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  2. What a surprise, a 'sweet' surprise! I've found a few spiders lately, but never a bee! You've created a wonder of a response with the Nye poem, your 'wonderopolis' query & your own 'golden shovel'- 'as he continued dancing'!

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    1. Linda, thanks for commenting on my interesting surprise. Because I was so curious about the winter bees and wanted to share the lesson I created about it with another group of teachers, I searched more. I found out so much about winter bees, facts I did not know. Curiousity leads to interesting discoveries.

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  3. As Linda has said, you've crafted a wonder-ful :) opportunity to create poetry, Carol.

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  4. It is amazing how noticing and wondering lead to so many new experiences, Tara, right in my house. Have a great weekend in the country. The photos you send out are wonder - ful, too.

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  5. I love all of this, the bee, finding a Wonderopolis article, Naomi's poem, and your golden shovel. I think you just gave me a great lesson idea.

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    1. Margaret, I hope you and your children will go on the wonder path to bring your lesson to new heights. I provided the teachers I was presenting to ideas to bring back to their students. Happy lesson designing. Let me know how your idea works out with the children.

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  6. Love your golden shovel poem, and the inspiration behind it!

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    1. Thanks for your comment, Linda. Yes, the golden shovel was inspired by a real happening.

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  7. Hey! I went to wonderopolis this week too. How delightful that the surprise of a winter bee led you to a Shihab Nye poem and a learning place. I do love that the ending is continued dancing.

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    1. Being a Wonder Lead Ambassador has led me to becoming a wonderologist, Linda. So glad that you caught the wonder of Wonderopolis, the place where learning never ceases.

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  8. Great blending of resources and creative work! Just a couple of days ago there was a honeybee in my kitchen!! So your title "Winter Bee Surprise" caught my attention immediately this morning. We carefully scooped him up in a jar and released him. It was a warmer day, so I'm hoping he could find his way back to wherever he came from. I'm wondering where he did come from though... There's a built in wall fan above my stove, and I'm wondering if there might be a hive in there. Yipes!

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    1. Donna, when I shared this experience and slides with teachers I presented, a college professor said that she also experienced a bee in her house. She later found out that they come from the outdoors into the home through the fireplace. Interesting, right? Thanks for your comments.

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  9. Love those lines you pulled from to create your magical golden shovel poem! A dancing bee is a lovely image. I'm ready for spring and more dancing bees that don't sting!

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    1. Here's to dancing bees that don't sting, Kiesha. The dancing part is lovely, the sting painful as experienced this summer. Thanks for sharing my surprise with me.

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  10. Love this, Carol, ESPECIALLY the final thought:

    Messages
    Were sent out through
    Multiple swipings as he continued dancing.

    So many wonderful things about that!

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  11. Many thanks, Laura. I just saw your comment on Twitter. It is always fun to be challenged by colleagues to explore a new poetic form and so I tried the equation poem and fell in love with it.

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  12. Wonderful poem, Carol. I can understand your fear. I've been on the receiving end of an angry bee also.

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    1. While the bee was plump and lovely to look at the fear was nagging at me, Kimberly. I am glad that you understand.

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  13. What a Bee-u-tiful post Carol. l Have this book, "If Bees Are Few A Hive of Be Poems" I've been meaning to share it, but will probably wait till spring or summer. I love the layers in Nye's poem and how you turned these around so masterfully to work your golden shovel, thanks!

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    1. Michelle, thank you for your comments and letting me know about a bee book that you will share in the warmer seasons. Nye's poem was a great one to use as the mentor text.

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  14. This was one fun surprise after another, Carol! Thank you for the reminder to check in w/Wonderopolis. Your golden shovel was such a delight! You make it look so easy. I am working on one that is a little longer and quite a bit more introspective. I really like the form and how they come together. Such a fun topic for the middle of winter!

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    1. Dani, while my golden shovel may look easy, it took many tries and revisions to get the story to flow. Shorter strike lines are so much easier to handle. I look forward to reading your golden shovel.

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  15. What a wonderful golden shovel. And to find a bee in winter.

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    1. I was really surprised when I saw the bee, Jone. Who would have thought it could live in the winter. Thanks for joining me.

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