Monthly Archives: April 2013

a wasp was my crown and the children’s teacher

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Out on the deck on a wonderful summer day
trees dancing & swaying rhythmically with the wind
while birds sang in joy with laughter & all was well

Then a wasp was detected upon the post & great fear was squealed
kill it! kill it! the children screamed before it stings us as they shied from the beast
what a catastrophe to upset our time outside revering nature by this horror of horrors

Calm down children all is well i tried to articulate
relax for this creature will not harm you no need to fear, no need to run away
for this animal has rights to be here just as much as you and i

Watch and listen children let me show you something
i gently placed my finger under the wasp and it climbed aboard
then it walked down to my palm just as if we were old friends

All the kids with eyes as bright as moons exclaimed in terror oh no!
dad, mr. hall you will be stung, if you don’t kill it run or it will hurt you
What is wrong with you that you dare to pick up this wasp for surely it will sting you over and over

Yet i talked to the kids in a measured tone as i let the wasp walk from palm to palm
and the fear in their eyes and voices dissipated slowly replaced by awe and wonder
for what do i have to fear if i am gentle and kind to this creature i explained to them

For is my purpose any greater than this flying animal?
who am i kill such a creature that does me no harm
surely its meaning and destiny is just as great as my own i taught

And as i said my little speech the kids grew to understand
so i set the wasp back to where it was initially sitting & we all felt wiser for the experience
i smiled & then kids cheerful, all clapped for something special happened & we all were wiser for it

Sadly, my story does not finish as i would have it thus conclude
for later, they told me, just a few minutes after i left the deck
that grandma came out to the deck, saw the wasp still sitting there & with a whack smashed it with a fly swatter…