roads

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Words & Music

  

 for Chris Watson

(I) Stahala’s translations

Huuuum: Aye, we have food & a queen

Dzi-dzi: Ach, our stores are dwindling

Wuh-wuh-wuh: Wow, we’re breeding!

Usiiir: Yes-sir, we’re fetching da water

Brr-brr-brr: Drone chucking out time again

Shiusi (swarm): Lust! Luft!

Shu-u-a (young bees): Going to come out & play?

Tu-tu-tu (young queen): I’m outta here!

Qua-qua-qua (young queens): We’re stuck inside

(II) Tone

Edwardes says

bees sing as

well as birds

though the bee's

choral symphony spans

more than an octave & a half

still, she is no soloist

Landois found

the wings’ vibration

produces a tone

varying between a

in the treble clef

dropping to e

when out of breath

Marey recorded an octave

   lower than a

 (III) Sense +

Porter thought

the antennae

an organ of sense

beyond any sense

that we possess

T. W. Cowan, The Honey Bee

(IV) after Curtis Roads 

A TRANSIENT EVENT

microsound

the glisson

of spraying water

the grainlet

of crunching gravel

the trainlet

of a gurgling brook

the voicel

of rain pitter-pattering

the symlet

hiss of poured rice

the gaborette

of crackling ice

the toneburst

of a burning ember

the poetry

of humming bees

Curtis Roads, Microsound

(V) after Thoreau

until telegraphs

buzzed

bees

hummed

T. W. Cowan, The Honey Bee

Curtis Roads, Microsound

Henry David Thoreau, Walden

           

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