He cups the bee
with his hands
and we all say
be careful
out of some habit
of the tongue
as though he doesn’t know
that bees carry swords
but his sister just says
the bee won’t hurt him
because he’s not trying to kill it
and we don’t believe it
because how could the bee know
what swims in our fancy minds
but of course the bee doesn’t sting him
this boy with the eyes so brown
they are the colour
of all of history
pressed together
I read once that a bee returns
and dances for her sisters in the hive
to show them where to find food
in relation to the sun
and I feel foolish
for doubting the boy
for forgetting the transcendent life
of a bee.