Pages

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


*****************************

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    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.

      Delete
  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'!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    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.

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

    ReplyDelete
  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.

    ReplyDelete
  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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    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.

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

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

      Delete
  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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    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.

      Delete
  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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    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.

      Delete
  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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    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.

      Delete
  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!

    ReplyDelete
  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.

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

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

      Delete
  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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    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.

      Delete
  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!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    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.

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

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    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.

      Delete