Spider and Bee

Bottle green spider
     and yellow black bee

Spider’s jaws are locked around bee’s throat
     Bee does not move
          Spider does not move

Spider and bee are on
     the petal of a rose

The rose sways in the first
     warm wind of spring

An army of school children
     marches down the hill
          They have been to the zoo

Spider does not move
     The flower sways

A thousand children pass beside the rose
     Footsteps and voices shake and blow
          The children scream and sing

Teacher’s whistle blows
     Bee does not move

Tears, and songs
     Children rage down the mountain
          from the zoo

Teacher does not move
     Teacher feels the wind

Bottle green spider
     and yellow black bee
          sway beside the footsteps

Seething children sway
     around the teacher

Bottle green spider
     and yellow black bee
          And dancing rose below