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Sunday, April 7, 2013

Celebrate National Poetry Month (and our troubled bees) - With a Poem!

Posted by Staff

Spring is in the air and we are thinking of flowers, sunny days... and poetry!  April is national poetry month and there are a number of ways to celebrate. Visit the library and peruse our poetry section (811), write down a favorite and share it (Poem in Your Pocket Day - 4/18), write a poem a day (visit this blog for resources), or listen to some wonderful recitations of poems at the Poetry Out Loud site.

The Bee-Boys's Song by Rudyard Kipling

Bees! Bees! Hark to your bees!
"Hide from your neighbors as much as you please,
But all that has happened, to us you must tell,
Or else we will give you no honey to sell!"

A maiden in her glory,
Upon her wedding -day,
Must tell her Bees the story,
Or else they'll fly away.
Fly away -- die away--
Dwindle down and leave you!
But if you don't deceive your Bees,
Your Bees will not deceive you.

Marriage, birth or buryin',
News across the seas,
All you're sad or merry in,
You must tell the Bees.
Tell 'em coming in an' out,
where the Fanners fan,
'Cause the Bees are just about
As curious as a man!

Don't you wait where the trees are,
When the lightnings play,
Nor don't you hate where Bees are,
Or else they'll pine away.
Pine away --dwine away--
Anything to leave you!
But if you never grieve your Bees,
Your Bees'll never grieve you.

P.S.  Bees are having a hard time these days and it looks like the U.S has lost 20%-40% over the winter.  What can you do to help our local bees? 1) Grow a diversity of flowering plants in your yard, especially ones that bloom in the heat of summer and are attractive to bees; 2) limit the use of all pesticides; 3) grow your own veggies and let some of the plants go to seed (fall flowers let bees stock up pollen for winter food) and 4) support your local beekeepers.

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