by Shawn Anto

hummingbirds like to drink
from the trumpet-shaped flowers.
and the buzzing bees like the broad
flat flowers like the marigold.
they drink and wallow
‘til they are covered
all over with nectar.
you follow a bee from one flower
to the next, see which direction
they go, eventually, finding its home.
the coconut climbers
climb the trees to collect
beehives the same way.
they use traditional harnesses
or some with single ropes
or some with nothing at all.
once all the bees go to rest
the climbers go up and
blow smoke out to keep
all the bees stunned.
the bees then venture out
looking around for flowers
dazed, looking for their way home
only to realize there is nothing to go back to.
I, stun, still, much like a bee, looking
for a home to go back to, noisily
looking for another sweet thing
another sting.
&
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Shawn Anto 

Shawn Anto is from Delano, California. He’s originally from Kerala, India. He received his B.A. in English & Theatre at CSU Bakersfield. He currently lives in Harlem pursuing his MFA in Creative Writing at Columbia University. His writing has been featured or are forthcoming in Reed Magazine, O:JA&L, Mojave Heart Review, and elsewhere.

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