Bee
after Thomas Hood’s NovemberNo flowers, no scents, makes no sense
No clover for rovers in the air
No subtle perfume, no strong fragrance,
No golden pollen, zig-zag toil
No awesome blossom for Spring bouquet
No chips, no crisps, no mash or boil
No berries, no fruits of labour
No nuts, no ifs or buts, for a handful crunch
No fraction of tastes for a mouth to savour
No tea on a plate for an evening munch
No beans, red, brown or green
No thick, sticky knife-full sweet
No wonder, to think of what might have been
No hives, no hollows, or a tree bark crack
No drone, no wings with busy swing
No fur, yellow with black
No colony, no solitary
No appearance, hard to bring back
No summer that is complete
No gentle buzz, because
No
bee
No clover for rovers in the air
No subtle perfume, no strong fragrance,
No golden pollen, zig-zag toil
No awesome blossom for Spring bouquet
No chips, no crisps, no mash or boil
No berries, no fruits of labour
No nuts, no ifs or buts, for a handful crunch
No fraction of tastes for a mouth to savour
No tea on a plate for an evening munch
No beans, red, brown or green
No thick, sticky knife-full sweet
No wonder, to think of what might have been
No hives, no hollows, or a tree bark crack
No drone, no wings with busy swing
No fur, yellow with black
No colony, no solitary
No appearance, hard to bring back
No summer that is complete
No gentle buzz, because
No
bee
This poem is copyright (©) Wayne Medford 2026
About the Writer
Wayne Medford
Wayne Medford writes poetry, for both child and adult audiences. Wayne is also a regular spoken word performer. Based near Newcastle, he is a member of ZigZag children's writers' group. He is regularly published, with his poem “Who Am I?” appearing in Tyger Tyger’s Small Things edition. He is a member of both Cullerpoets, and North Tyneside Writers’ Circle, contributing towards its 2023 and 2024 anthologies. He has been placed and longlisted in local and international competitions.
