sunflowers
Image by John-Morgan via Flickr

Once I overheard a man who could speak three languages
and had nothing worthwhile to say in any of them

I speak with one language
and my words are many textures
that show you what it would feel like
to run your hands over my heart
and into my life

This flower here
deep yellow and gold
made of many textures
shares a language with that little bee
and one hundred million years ago
other flowers
spoke with other bees
working together
they travel through time

How do I learn to do that
maybe run my hands over the heart
of this little bee
embrace those textures
glance the oldest ridge
to when they met in this place
agreed to a code
carved it into the stone
and I am standing here
with too many words
to describe it

Maybe knowing just one language is too many

 

17 responses to “Labels”

  1. What a great treatment of the theme. First, I loved the book “Little Bee”–beautiful writing. As for yours, I especially enjoyed the theme of textures that played throughout. My two favorite “tools” in art are color and texture and you addressed them both. Superb.
    Victoria C-S

    Great to hear from you Victoria. Thank you and great to hear that you feel those textures also – SG.

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  2. I enjoyed this very much. I especially liked the following lines: “my words are many textures/that show you what it would feel like/to run your hands over my heart”.

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    1. Awesome to hear that. Cheers Cindy.

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  3. So lovely, and the first bit really drew me in…you could write other pieces using those first words as a starting point.

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    1. Well this was actually a different story to what I had posted, but you are right the start is very flexible. I normal review my stories every few months so might do something more with it.

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  4. Oh, the Little Bee is wonderful — especially like the allusion to co-evolutionary processes and language.
    Terrific read.

    Cheers Deb, glad you enjoyed it – SG.

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  5. A beautiful piece.

    Thanks Susan – glad you enjoyed it – SG.

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  6. yeah, maybe the language of the heart is enough… but this is a beautiful – I’m glad I got to read it in the languages I know best

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    1. Awesome stuff – thanks for writing.

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  7. Enjoyable and I love this “run my hands over the heart”
    How pretty.
    Pamela

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    1. Cheers Pamela, glad you enjoyed it.

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  8. I firmly believe in the texture of words…

    electronically yours

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    1. We need those textures Gautami, or what are we anyway?

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  9. Not only Little Bee, but Languages of Love. I enjoyed very much.

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    1. Thanks Viv. Anything that mentions the word ‘bee’ is instantly better for it!

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  10. Really enjoyed this. Rich. (And I highly recommend Little Bee. I am reading it now.)

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    1. Thank you Nan – glad to hear that you enjoyed it. I don’t normally go to the NYT best seller list but might see what everyone out there is looking at.

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