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she walks into the lovely garden
to feel the hot sun on her skin
removing one shoe at a time
her face slowly shows a grin
the plants and flowers give off scents:
mint, chrysanthemum, cotton
bees buzz by and whisper to her
each presenting gifts of pollen
booping and beeping go the bees
causing her smile to grow
they’re everywhere: the ground, the bushes, the trees
little insects in a buzz filled frenzy
closer and closer they come to her
and her grin turns to a frown
one bee buzzes briskly to her throat
and she tumbles to the ground
slowly they begin to swarm
she thrashes as she falls
the bees have taken to her form
each stinger breaking skin
the flowers still smell so sweet
the sun still beats down hard
the scene could take one’s breath away
except now it’s all she’s got
poison seeps into her blood
and she begins to cry
she never thought the lovely garden
would be the place where she would die
Alex Schlesinger
Benji Freeman (Digital Photograph)
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