Hello Readers, Writers, and Friends,

Friday is upon us. For some that means weekend R&R, for others the never-ending task of keeping offspring alive, and for others still some combination of responsibility and kindness that keeps the world moving on its merry way despite the saturation of tragedy that abounds.

I’m feeling less dire than in days past, and that’s not nothing. So here’s hoping that reflects in the work today. As I do each week, I will pull a couple of writing prompts and create a piece of flash fiction “live,” typos and all, here for my mental exercise and your reading enjoyment. If you would like to play along, see the prompts below and have at it.

Today’s prompts: beekeeper, language barrier

If only I could explain.

Maybe it’s like the whole 300 words for snow thing. There’s the pre-honey-honey, the extra gooey, the runny, the stuff that’s just about to crystalize but hasn’t yet. There’s the coatings on the comb that’s part honey, part wax. And if that’s your world you know the difference. You know the names fro everything.

But you also can’t explain to anyone who hasn’t dipped their toes in that world. You can’t explain how the wings buzz differently depending on how the bees feel.

I mean you know when they’re mad or defensive, but what do you call it when the hive is running just right and all the workers are well fed and happy to be buzzing about? There’s a music to it. Moe than a synergy.

And the realization that the hive is going to split soon, or it has already, half your family gone overnight. It’s like no other loss i can think of.

We don’t have enough words. Words for what you are when you lose your children, or for the different angles of the staimin and the ways to approach each of them.

It would be so much easier if we could just dance the pattern of our days like the path to a flower bed, or rub antennae and be perfectly in sync with what kind of honey needs to be made today and who the queen is looking for. Human language just can’t do the kinds of communication we need.

“Dude, I’m not putting any of that in your dating profile.”

“Ok, how about, ‘I’m a life long beekeeper and a flower enthusiast. Give me a buzz!'”

“Yeah, that might work. I’m making you two inches taller though.”

I know it was brief, but it feels right for today. In the northern hemisphere it is spring, so do yourself a favor and get outside if you can this weekend. Drink in the sun. Smell a flower. There are plenty of reasons to laugh and to smile and to hope.

~Anika