Welcome to summertime – the time of the year when we trade snowflakes for bug splats on the windshield. I know that I tend to get annoyed by the inevitable mess made by a swarm of bees or some other flying insects when they collide with my freshly-washed windows, but I’d much rather deal with that mess than to be clearing snow off the glass! I’m pretty sure we’re all familiar with the Mark Knopfler / Mary-Chapin Carpenter song called “The Bug” (if not, look it up online) which includes the lyrics, “…sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug…” which implies the concept of perspective when it comes to various circumstances in life. For example, I may be annoyed by the mess that a swarm of bees makes when they smash upon my windshield, but I can be thankful that it’s not snow… and at least I’m not the bug! If the bees had a voice in the matter, their plight would be in stark contrast to mine!
THE PLIGHT OF THE BUMBLEBEE
By Trevor Hardwick
I started out the day, and it was roses,
I floated on a breeze without a care.
Buzzing ‘round the farm out by the highway,
Life was good, my friends were there.
We all had a job to do, so we got busy,
We had to leave the honey for a while.
We spread our wings and headed for a field,
To do our dirty duty, with a smile.
But tragedy would strike real quick,
Some of us would not be coming back.
We tried to cross the interstate to another field,
And collided with a Superliner Mack.
I thought I could outrun him, but I couldn’t,
I never thought a semi was so fast.
A dozen of my buddies hit the bumper,
And I met my demise upon the glass.
I saw that driver flinch as I made contact,
He was chewing on a Bit O’ Honey stick.
I hope I made a mess upon his windshield,
And I hope that Bit O’ Honey made him sick.
The flight I took that morning was my last,
Ain’t got the guts to do that anymore.
They’re mixed with Windex, wings and stingers,
On a semi, with the pedal to the floor.