yellowjackets

[Philatone]

V. 6 removed the "guest," final half of the poem reworked, new title, "golden" changed to "yellow"

yellowjackets

After you take the jar
and remove it from the freezer,

the nest thaws
and yellowjackets,

frozen in paper cells,
wake as prisoners.

Gone is the unfinished wall
used for shelter, traded

for a canister of glass.
Before torpor ends,

a strand of rope
nets their carapace,

yellow bands soon flying
like stripes on a torn flag

slow to be lowered
after capture.


v. 5 thanks to billy. adjusted "hooks", S7; added "without a fight" to the same stanza



After you take the jar
and remove it from the freezer,

--the guest said,
addressing the table--

the nest thaws
and yellowjackets,

frozen in paper cells,
wake as prisoners.

Gone is the unfinished wall
used for shelter, traded

for a canister of glass;
before torpor ends,

a strand of rope
nets their golden bands

without a fight. Once warm,
they fly like torn flags

--he laughs, takes a question
on the number of hives in the empty house--

Enough to burn, one to save
for when the wind was strong

enough to drag any flag
back to life.




v. 4
-new stanzass (4 and 5) added
-"empty" added to "house"




After you take the jar
and remove it from the freezer,

--the guest said,
addressing the table--

the nest thaws
and yellowjackets,

frozen in paper cells,
wake as prisoners.

Gone is the unfinished wall
used for shelter, traded

for a canister of glass; before torpor ends,
a strand of rope hooks

the bands of black
and gold on exposed skeletons.

Once warm,
they fly like torn flags

--he laughs, takes a question
on the number of hives in the empty house--

Enough to burn, one to save
for when the wind was strong

enough to drag any flag
back to life.




v. 3 tried removing excess

After you take the jar
and remove it from the freezer,

--the guest said,
addressing the table--

the nest thaws
and yellowjackets wake

without a home carved into
an unfinished wall.

Before torpor ends,
a strand of rope hooks

the bands of black
and gold on their skeletons.

Once warm,
they fly like torn flags

--he laughs, takes a question
on the number of hives in the house--

Enough to burn, one to save
for when the wind was strong

enough to drag any flag
back to life.




V. 2 slight wording adjustments; hope they make the "piece" even tighter


After you take the jar from the freezer
-the guest said, addressing the table-

Unscrew the lid and wait for the nest inside
to thaw as the yellowjackets warm and wake,

exiled from the exposed beams
of an unfinished, pine-scented home.

Wear heavy clothes and goggles
to avoid the stings; after all,

some people are allergic; and bring string
to tie around their banded bodies.

They fly like flags
-here, he laughs,

takes a question on the number of hives
planted in the unassembled walls-

Enough to burn, one to save
for when the wind was strong

enough to drag any flag
back to life.



v. 1

After you take the jar from the freezer
-the diner said, addressing the table-

Unscrew the lid and wait for the honeycomb
to thaw as the yellowjackets warm to life,

immigrants, pushed out of the exposed beams
of a new, pine-scented home.

Wear heavy clothes and goggles
to avoid the stings; after all,

some people are allergic; and bring string
to tie around their bodies.

They fly like flags
-here, he laughs,

takes a question on the number of hives
planted in the house-

Enough to burn, one to save
for when the wind was strong

enough to drag any flag
back to life.