all the birds & all the bees

'all the birds & all the bees' A3 Poem Print unframed

Four beautiful prints of one of my most-requested poems, designed in collaboration with the incredible Medley Design studio. There's a cream and orange colourway, both with a version of the full poem and a standalone line. If you can't decide between the versions, they also work perfectly together as a pair..

The full poem reads:

did you know we were never told
the full story of the birds and the bees?
see, i never realised some important chapters
had been torn from the seams.
i had to learn them at a price, but
i’m gonna tell you my findings for free,
as long as you promise to repeat them
so they can never erase them from history,
’cause this story is non-fiction but
they’ll try to say it’s make-believe.

did you know that a bee could love another bee?
with the honey made between them being double as sweet.
did you know that they could live together in peace,
that they weren’t mentally ill or with a disease,
and that it was okay for them to just admire
the birds from a distance as they stand in the trees,
probably compliment their feathers
and put makeup on their beaks?

and did you know that two birds could also
fly together with ease?
that they could build just as strong a nest
and raise their own seeds?
they could form a bond with another bird
and travel in threes
or fall in love with more birds and travel in v’s.
i just don’t understand why they would hide
beautiful times like these.

and did you know some birds and bees
don’t even have a preference?
some identify solely with their truth
and only ask for acceptance.
some can change daily depending on how they feel,
others don’t call themselves birds or bees
and you can see how it helps them heal.

and did you know that some birds could become bees
because they knew they were born with the wrong wings?
and that some bees could become birds
because they needed a different voice to truly sing?
if only we were taught about all of these things,
because we all know what happens
when you clip a bird’s wings,
we all know what happens to bees
when they have to use their own sting.

and did you know?
now this might cause disbelief.
you will not turn into everything that you
learn about and read.
see, i’m not being funny,
did you know that a bird that understands bees
won’t try to make honey,
and i’ll say this bit with glee:
did you know that a bee that understands birds
won’t try to make a nest out of sticks in a tree?
just look around at the world; it’s so easy to see.
it’s almost as if what you know you truly are
is what you were always meant to be.

and listen,
i’m still glad i heard of the bird and the bee.
i just wish i’d known, like many others,
that there were ones like me,
who would’ve been happier if they were
allowed to do as they please,
whose wings would have developed quicker
had they been allowed to fly free.

and i just wish,
i wish that everyone could hear this story in its entirety,
so they could turn their fear
of misunderstanding into peace.
and in turn they could educate their seeds,
so they grow up to be the right trees and colonies
that we so desperately need
to provide a safe home for
all of the birds and all of the bees.