Jayne Fenton Keane

Notes from the Abdomens of Bees

(i)

flower dance code

(ii)

Apis mellifera

At the point where neck meets clavicle

an indecipherable thrum of crimson.

Someone watches it quicken.

Sunflowers silky and luminous

tilt towards midday. Voltage agitates

the rhythm of a distant hive.

 (iii)

Megachile

(iv) The smoke bearer

His hands                                    are restless explorers

named wing and wing.

Honey, thief, I am sleepy

Too sleepy for that

distant spoon full of promises.

A spoon                                       catches the sun in its warm slopes.

Eyes scoop up the signal and its slurred

traces of avocado, sun-dried tomatoes

black olives, lentils, spinach tortillas

burnt sugar, rose petals and berry nectar.

(v) Wing and Wing

 (vi) Colony

Jayne Fenton Keane is the author of three poetry books, radio plays, a stage play and five multi-media collections. She was the Founding Director of National Poetry Week (2002-2006) and a Co-director of the Queensland Poetry Festival (2002-2004). Completing a doctorate in 2008 at Griffith University, her research interests include poetics, embodiment, digital ecologies and science-art. JFK has been a recipient of Asialink, Australia Council and Arts Queensland grants and her work has been translated into Korean, Chinese, Dutch, German, Spanish and Zulu.

A pdf of the poem can be read here.