the new traditions

people used to invite the bees to their weddings
because bees were sacred then,
then being not now of course
 
the hive would RSVP by swarm or nothing—
the gift in their acknowledgment,
the bane of their absence
 
hashtags are now the mode of all seasons
we are the new bees, always buzzing,
our glowing part of the hive
 
we ask the other bees if they will attend
because bees are sacred again,
now that they’re people
 
the hive asks around to see who’s going
and who is waiting to hear back
about the show that weekend