Loss of inheritance. A Poem by Snigdha Agrawal

queen bee announces
her carefully timed retirement,
keeping the throne warm
as advisor emeritus.
smaller bees
fall into line
wings tangled,
eyes shining,
tripping over
one another
to inherit
echo of power
queen departs
amused

Alas!
the hive was burnt
not by accident,
but by design.
honey-makers scatter stripped of purpose,
still tasting dissapointment
on sticky tongues.

thus ends an era of
back-scratching
boot-licking
portfolio building
as means of survival
only ash remains
and a vacancy
that smells like smoke
not succession