A little bird has confided in me
That in your small carapace lies the key
And teaming masses yearning to live safely
Cry out as one for a demonstration
The good people at Caltech do their best
And make nanoparticles that will pass the test
To kill the viral cells, but leave the rest
Alive and without harmful depletion
And now, we think we’ve won the war at last
And so put an end to a harmful past
Killed the plague that infects the host so fast
And sentences death upon mutation
Alas, my friend, the good news comes too late
Such stories and demos, they will not slate
Our growing demands, or prevent the fate
That foretells of your gory extinction
Note: For those following the A to Z challenge, I apologize for the late posting of my entry for April 11th (or J day). Which is why I’ve posted both J and K today. And just in case you’re wondering what today’s entry is all about, it’s a tragic ode to the Bee, since it is now known that Bee venom is capable of killing HIV, but which comes at a time when the global Bee population is being depleted due to urban sprawl, pollution and loss of natural habitats.
And in keeping with my sci-fi roots, I wrote this poem as if it were dedicated from the near future, where the Bee population had become extinct and the chance for a cure for HIV effectively lost. It’s also written in iambic pentameter and has a rhyme scheme of AAAB, CCCB, DDDB, EEEEB. Hope you enjoyed it and were suitably depressed!
Stories by Williams 
I was suitably impressed! Very nice… and there is hope yet. They are seeing a reemergence of a particular species in this area that they thought was extinct. My property was covered with them over the past two or three summers.
Yes! And I’m counting on them remaining alive, and given the advances being made in cloning, they can always be brought back, right? 😉
Well, I don’t know how I feel about cloning, I’m a natural kinda gal, but I believe Mother Nature sets things right whenever possible. I called my bug guy (my house is a wood build 1920 structure) about the bees, I thought they were baby carpenter’s – turns out they are a species just being seen in North America again; harmless to humans but vital to our native plant life. That makes me happy and gives me hope that mankind hasn’t truly destroyed our hope of survival. So we protect them from all harm. Everyone needs to do their part, no matter how small. It’s all about a fuzzy little bee here. That’s got to make even the most cynical person smile. And while they may not produce HIV anti-toxins, they are a sign that hope is out there. We just need to respect its boundaries. Yeah, The Dark Angel talking fuzzy bees, go figure. Honestly, I am extremely curious when it comes to scientific advancement, an extreme advocate of it, but one with equal concern regarding its environmental impact. I think it’s a very healthy attitude in today’s world. Oh crap, I did another long rant on your blog. Flog me at will, I deserve it…
No way, you’d enjoy that too much! Go sit in the sun and think happy thoughts amongst the harmless bees. That ought to make the Dark Angel miserable! 😉
Truly! ;}