Friday, May 20th, 2011

Writing Prompt: What’s Happening Here?

I’ve hesitated to toss up a photo to use as a prompt because it’s just too easy to get into the habit of doing something lazy, but I just couldn’t pass this up.

The most recent edition of Imker Freunde Magazin (Bee Keeper’s Friend) from Germany wafted pass my day-job desk this week and the cover photo caught my eye.

The object on the right in the photo is some kind of beekeeper’s post, covered all over in bees. The swarm is so large, that the bees have even pooled on the ground around the post. The little girl on the left has attracted the bees’ attention, and some have come to investigate her. One looks like it’s trying to crawl into her pocket. A few are close to landing on her.

The second photo is from inside the magazine, taken from another point of view. The bees are closer, and the child looks…excited? Frightened?

Here’s your prompt: What’s happening in this picture? Write a poem, a song, an essay, a news story. Anything. Just tell us what’s happening.

Bee Keeper's Friend Magazine Cover
 
Bee Keeper's Friend Magazine  - Inside Photo

6 comments to Writing Prompt: What’s Happening Here?

  • Sue

    If that were your hubby, he’d be running for the hills or somewhere!!

    • Hi Sue! Both the Husband of Awesome™ and I have both had “run to the hills” experiences with bees. (I’ll bet you didn’t know that when I was a kid I had the temerity to chop a hive in half with an axe! Ah, youth. Chalk that up to the “things you only do once in your life category.”)

      I got over my willies. These days I’d be approaching the swarm with hand outstretched!

  • Charlie

    Great photo. Someone that happy and interested in the bees probably couldn’t be stung even if they went up and started grabbing them. Completely in the Spirit of Play and above any notion or thought of any danger whatsoever.

    I get a happy feeling just looking at the photo – imagine how they bees are feeling being right there, they are probably just as happy as the kid.

    • Hi Charlie! Oh, I dunno, I think if she walked up and grabbed the bees they might be interested in providing a little mayhem. Worth a shot. Wanna try? 😉

  • Boy does that conjure up a painful memory! The pics look like the girl has no idea bees can sting. She’s just fascinated by them. When I was a kid we were on vacation and a wasp got into the car and was flying around the back window. My Dad got out and seemed to be looking for a magazine to roll up. I didn’t know about stinging insects, but knew you could pinch an insect’s wings together and easily fling it anywhere you wanted. I thought I’d save my Dad some trouble. I found out the wing-pinch technique doesn’t work well with wasps. I don’t recommend that method at all.

    • Hi Steve! Did you get stung more than once? I understand that wasps can keep on stinging…and they’re a lot more painful than bee stings, right? I was stung over 80 times once…but never by wasps, just plain old yellow jackets. (Still hurt like the dickens!)

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