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The Keeper's Hive

A Villanelle on Trust

By Michelle Liew Tsui-LinPublished 2 years ago β€’ Updated 2 years ago β€’ 1 min read
The Keeper's Hive
Photo by Eric Ward on Unsplash

Prologue

This is for Mikeydred’s Octoberon Challenge.

Trust is fragile, much like a buzzing bee which dies after it loses its sting.

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Trust in the buzz, the bees’ onward flight,

A hive in balance, where sweet nectar’s made.

But trust’s a bough that breaks in dark of night.

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

The keeper answers, β€œThey’ll never soar high,

They work for man, where golden pollen glows.”

Trust in the buzz, the bees’ onward flight.

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

His vow of togetherness, of sacred right,

Yet shadows lurk beneath the flower’s repose.

But trust’s a bough that breaks in dark of night.

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

I watch them labor, endless is fight,

The keeper’s hands hold secrets, all disguised.

Trust in the buzz, the bees’ onward flight.

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

But what if wings would carry secret fright?

What danger lurks where golden honey glows?

But trust’s a bough that breaks in dark of night.

🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

Now buzzing bees arise, out of plain sight,

Their sting unveils their lie, the trust unveiled.

But trust’s a bough that breaks in dark of night,

Trust in the buzz, the bees’ onward flight.

inspirationalVillanelle

About the Creator

Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin

Hi, i am an English Language teacher cum freelance writer with a taste for pets, prose and poetry. When I'm not writing my heart out, I'm playing with my three dogs, Zorra, Cloudy and Snowball.

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    Written by Michelle Liew Tsui-Lin