Up at the farmlet last weekend there was a new scent in the air. Intrigued I followed my nose to the source and found this:
Orange blossom
It’s a blossom on one of our 31 orange trees. Did I mention that we have a grove of 31 orange trees? Well, we do, and very pretty it smells just now.
It sounds good too. Our bees are still in Auckland, but someone around here has Italians, and the orange trees are buzzing. Hundreds of bees doing what needs to be done to make oranges happen next winter.
A pretty Italian bee, but she’s not one of ours.
Bet orange nectar honey tastes amazing too. I can’t wait until blossom time next year when the girls from our bee hive will be humming around out there. Go the bees!
How doth the little busy bee
Improve each shining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From every opening flower!
by Isaac Watts – https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/how-doth-little-busy-bee
I really am getting most poetical about your lovely farmlet 🙂
You are! Thank you for bringing a delightfully literary touch to the comments. 🙂
Here is a verse which I like from an Antonia Machado poem:
Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.
My, look how literary we are over here now!
That is a really lovely piece of imagery. Does it relate to bees reusing old comb to make new do you think? I’ve never come across Antonia Machado before (had to Google him), but perhaps he was a beekeeper too.
It’s actually a religious poem, which is clearer when you read the whole thing – I think this verse might be about forgiveness/redemption? I find the imagery very moving – perhaps he chose it because of the reusing of old comb, as you say. I love the idea of recycling and making good from bad.