my brain buzzes
a beehive
ruled by competing
overfed queens
i once read that bees
will surround an invader
–say a wasp or a hornet–
building a little sun around him
raising the temperature
of their abdomens
cooking the intruder alive
i wonder, does the wasp
pop like popcorn
burnt in a microwave
leaving a greasy tendril
of smoke
what has crawled into my head
i smell something
burning
Words and Feathers 