BEE PUPPETS Poem by Claire Potter

Suppa vagari, Lucretius, line 76
describes motion as beginning in the will of the mind

Glass, clear
As, as Ants raising baby wasps, unable to tell the difference
between ant larvae & wasp pupae

or Crystal, clear
As, as the dance-language of bees,

home from their morning flight, indicating the distance
& exact position of each flower

between the petals, white crab spiders, fronded as daisies
wait for bees ―

taken, banded thorax goes limp
& cellophane wings tremble not slightly

fresh canticles of lavender still ringing on their tongues
three black ochelli turn inwards
(You will need: a yellow paper cup, black pipe cleaners, small circle
stickers, yellow felt, black vinyl tape, a large cardboard flower, a red marker, scissors)

After being emptied & let fall
bees become puppets for travelling ant shows