What power in flights of the bumblebee
Hovering abuzz among sweet flowers
I admit one so small does humble me.

Blossom to bloom, wings flap and rumble free
Climbing petals to apex of bower
What power in flights of the bumble bee.

Swiping pollen to stamen in umbel sea
Sipping nectar, flitting hour to hour
I admit one so small does humble me.

Brave men grunt in wild, yet with grumbling flee
(The threat of stinger leads them to cower)
What power in flights of the bumblebee.

Home made in remains of a crumbled tree
Five thousand flowers a day it empowers.
I admit one so small does humble me.

Alas, my poem serves as short fumbled plea
For their scarcity fills me with dour.
What power in flights of the bumble bee –
I admit one so small does humble me.

The rusty-patched bumblebee is a bumblebee and it is endangered. The world of bees is shaken to its core. Many culprits have arisen, though I suspect many culprits are guilty. Bumblebees, mason bees, other bees – are better at pollinating than honeybees. But we get honey from honeybees. Maybe that’s why?

The rusty-patch does live in large colonies. It is named for a rust-colored patch of hair on its abdomen. Bumblebees are not necessarily friendly, but they tend to leave people alone if left alone themselves. They can sometimes be found, exhausted, lying on the ground. Sometimes a bit of sugar water can energize them. Individual bees do not have long lifespans, however – they exist to serve the colony.

Bees are terribly important ecologically, also economically.

The poem is a villanelle. I have written exactly one before this, but I’m quite happy with how it turned out. I also hope we can help the bees.