an ancient oak taking a kneenot
because it wanted but because the
current property owner decided it should come down
he saw the house turn three times in the last nine years current tenant were all tenants
moved in a little over a year ago
he wondered if oak wiffed its demise
it was huge
workers cut at it with chain saws
from two buckets took down its smaller
limbsbranches
but oak had a surprise
they cut it to gnarly Y its left curled out over the road an ended in
a curlicue an questionmark its right had
been cut lower an discovered a hollow
inside were bees
the buckets shot
up bouncedbobbedplummeted to escape their fury
he laughedthought
Good tree good tree
still holding your own
For
now it moaned
by the time he returned the
trucks and workers had fled
as he went to pass earlier a
worker warned him
the bees formed a thick column
Im good he said I didnt violate them
he walked past him anto the right of
the column he thanked the bees for their help
bees paid him no heed
bees never paid him heed as a boy he cuppedcradled bees in his hands saved them from drowning in swimming pools or
lakes he had established cred goodstanding
in their hive mind everyanywhere he went
he knew it like he knew his left from his right
howls sounded behind him
Retribution
couldnt pay him to cut a tree
down
he climbed themplanted them he was on their side
they were the planets lungs
a basic premise seemed lost
bees were also critical
also seemed lost
thick dull human beens
1417, Day-between-Two-Ts, 26 1. 22
