Sweet Harvest
A hawk shadows the lawn,
shades my view
where honeybees hover clover
scattered in the grass, gathering.
Laden with yellow pods of pollen
clinging to their back legs,
I watch them disappear into the hive.
The rusty beehive smoker puffs
as my dad, clad in his sting-proof suit,
walks slowly to the three-tiered honey keeper.
He lifts the metal telescoping roof
to ten wood frames filled with wax covered goodness,
pulls them out one by one,
and slings the soul of the hive into mason jars.
As I spread the fruits of their labor
on a piece of wheat toast
cradled in my hand,
for a brief moment, I am
surrounded by buzzing, wings fanning
until all that is left
is the pure golden nectar of the gods.
…..
This poem first appeared in American Diversity Report, and is from the chapbook Yesterday Echoes by Chris Wood (Finishing Line Press) at https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/yesterday-echoes-by-chris-wood/
Chris Wood explores the intersections of memory, language, and place. With a deep reverence for etymology and the often-overlooked stories embedded in ordinary lives, Chris weaves together personal experience, cultural observation, and historical nuance. Her poems have appeared in American First Magazine, Salvation South, Lit Shark Magazine, and numerous anthologies including Women Speak (2025) and Bayou, Blues, & Red Clay (2024). She resides in Tennessee with her husband and a lively household of fur-babies. When not writing, she serves as a Director in Operations Services for a real estate investment trust. Learn more at https://chriswoodwriter.com.
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