Greetings and apologies for the long silence! We have a new piece of writing for you today from Rachel Moore, entitled 'Scent of Honey', written at our September workshop:
Scent of Honey
Honey
Liquid gold they called it
Sweet dripping and viscous
I stole mine from a local hive
When I knew its days were numbered
I remember the faint buzz
As drowsy bees tickled my hand
They didn’t sting me
It was as if they knew
They’d given up the fight
Nothing left for them to fight for
I dug in my curious fingers
And scooped the warm syrupy liquid
Cradled in wax
It felt like molten candles
Cosy and comforting
But the thing I remember most was the smell
Intoxicating
Heather, honeysuckle,
Lavender and clover
An English horticultural delight
With a faint whiff of hints of vanilla
Strange really
Maybe it was just imagined
An imagined stolen sweetness
I kept it in a locket
That once held a picture of my true love
Clasp shut tight
The wax holding it in place
I open it when I get scared
Or when I want to feel safe
I sometimes share its smell with my children
Who imagine this bee paradise
With minds of innocence
Rachel also shares a few words on her experience of writing the piece and the ideas behind it:
When asked to write about myself I prefer to let my words speak for themselves. I think it is our inherent reaction to pre-judge with too much knowledge –maybe it’s better to approach things with the open and curious mind of a child, who knows what treasures we might find.
I joined the Sheffield climate writers because I care. I care about the environment; I care about people and nature and our future. I also believe in the power of words to evoke emotions, connections and instigate social change.
I wrote this poem at the last meeting when we were asked to imagine a smell that we would miss if we were to lose it as part of the climate catastrophe. The brief was:
It smells of…………
I’ll keep it in………
I’ll open it when……….
Here’s my take on the scent of honey………