m e a g a n    e v a n s

Parable

a.

b.

c.

d.

e.

f.

a.

You are a bee.  You are the bee
that kept flying in my
                                    window
in the laundromat parking lot
while my grandfather went on 
                                    about
the bear God sent to eat the wicked children
and how it wasn't as bad as it 
                                    sounds
because in the Bible-days people lived
so long that a 40 year old man was
                                    called
a child.  You are that 
bee and no other.  It's not
                                    as bad
as it sounds.  These days people
live so long that a man can be
                                    said
to be a bee and it's not as bad as some people
might think.  It doesn't hurt anyone.
                                    Call me a bee.

next

b.

You have wings.
You have gossamer wings.
You have pollen-hazed gossamer beaded wings
and you circle drowsily the pliant flowers.

The pliant flowers stand
for both what you eat and what you bring with you
on your legs and in your tiny hairs.
You have wings.

next

c.

I'll say it again, bee.
I can say anything
I want.  The bear
was sent for the children
because they said

go up old bald-head.
But no bear will come for me.
I can say
anything I want.  So, go up.
Go up old bald-head.  Go up.

next

d.

No bear will come.

next

e.

You are a bear.  You are the bear
That Eric saw when he was 
                                    planting
trees in Nova Scotia.  The bear
that he was left with when the 
                                    other
guy took the scooter.  That guy
was always screwing people over but
                                    that
was too much, leaving Eric there.  
Throwing pinecones.  He could have
                                    died.
I don't remember how he got
away from that bear
                                    but
you are that bear and no 
other.  These days people 
                                  eat
so much and sleep so long 
that you can call them 
                                 anything
and it doesn't matter.  It doesn't
hurt anyone.  It's not as 
                                 bad.

next

f.

I can make you
                       turn
into a bee.  That bee.  God won't
send His bear.  Not for me.  Not for
                                             anything

next

MEAGAN EVANS is a student of poetry and teacher of composition at Texas State University. She has other work online and in print if you look around a bit. Feel free to email her with complaints or solicitations of almost any kind at bay_o_bob@hotmail.com.