Problem solved, Doctor Science?
Honeybee die-off a thing of the past?
I’ve seen your prototype drone bee,
size of a pack of cigarettes, four propellers,
horse hair bristles coated with gel. It seems—
cumbersome—a polite word for another.
Can you replace 3.5 trillion (real) bees?
Instead, can we program drones
to doctor the living bees?
Cure them of Chalkbrood Disease?
Of American Foulbrood Disease?
Can you use those drone bristles
to decontaminate the bees, remove
the pesticides
that disorient them
that cause them to fly
around confused
to fly
until exhausted
to fly to drop
far from the hive?
Some scientists complain
the prototype drone bee
is clumsy. Bumping
into random
flower, pistil, stamen.
Flowers represent multimodal sensory billboards.
So much data to interpret.
When it comes to flowers,
who will collect the sweetness
our tongues desire?
Speak to me.
Will you give the drone bee a stinger?
A laser?
Can we call a bee—
that doesn’t sting—a bee?
