bee

She ran and I chased
Even as my lungs threatened to explode
I cried out
“Wait! Wait for me!”
She kept running as if she didn’t hear – or care

There was a stream before me
Playing a quicksand game
Taunting me to cross

Shaking and faint I removed my shoes
Her outline growing fainter by the second
“Please wait,” I whispered, knowing I’d never catch up

In a moment hatred and love became indistinguishable
Like the murky waters between life and death
That clung to my toes and sent me falling to the ground
In the slime of selfish hope

There were bees buzzing near the blood
Pouring slowly from my skull
The scent of flowers only a hindsight away

Grandmother leaves me alone this way
Every night
Hunting for honey, fertile ground, and
Bloodless Love