The reign of the hornet (Riverfire)

The reign of the hornet (Riverfire)

By Kate Lockyer

 

A rumbling in the near distance

Sheer daring pierces the sky

Afternoon joggers glance upwards

And I wonder, what is it they spy?

 

Jacarandas are blooming, warmth fills the air

The beginning of spring is dreamlike

But the changing of seasons also heralds a fear

That a sharp-beaked swooping will strike

 

But today, by the river, spring’s advent

Isn’t painted with black and white wings

Instead, it’s the might of an all-powerful wasp

Inspiring awe at the threat of its sting

 

Driving over the bridge, above the brown snake

The same bridge I cross every day

The footpaths are filled with something quite new

Excitement people can’t hold at bay

 

People smiling and pointing, just over my head

With my eyes on the road I can’t see

But above me I hear the roar and guess –

The Hornet – that’s what this must be

 

Suits and ties in the city centre

Peer past paperwork towers

On the 14th floor they catch a glimpse

Of up-close airborne power

 

As a thirsty wasp darts across the creek

Zipping past gums and wattles

The Super Hornet swoops along the river

Weaving through buildings full throttle

 

Just when it seems calamity will reign

Wing tips a hair’s breadth from a scrape

The close-up illusion shrinks to a speck

And you squint to see only heat haze

 

The racket, the din, the risk, the expense

Grumblings could go on for days

Yet still we collect, like bees to a flower,

Like wasps to a fruit that decays

 

Lining the riverbanks, rushing to windows

Feeling jolts of thrill and of danger

A buzz in the air, shared anticipation

Wonder reflects in the eyes of a stranger

 

Do we feel more connected, pulling life close,

As those pilots look death in the eyes?

And we realise, though life starts with the birds and the bees

In spring beware, they may cause our demise!

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