A Swarming

Paul Ilechko

 The last encounter,
a sorry babble of voices
cutting like static
through the echoes
of intelligence. Cutting
like a knife through
my implacable skin. 
We flew kites in memory
of radio days, taunting 
the weather. A faint hum
permeated the garden,
but the shapeless shadow
twisted in the wind
as the elements failed
to maintain their posture,
as the whole was less
than any sum of parts. 
After the sun went down
and background radiation
declined to normal
levels, it seemed 
that the bees were able
to re-integrate their swarm
into an acceptable shape.  

Paul Ilechko is the author of the chapbooks “Bartok in Winter” (Flutter Press, 2018) and Graph of Life (Finishing Line Press, 2018). His work has appeared in a variety of journals, including Stickman Review, Mocking Heart Review, Sheila-Na-Gig, and Dime Show Review. He lives in Lambertville, NJ.