Alec Solomita’s fiction has appeared in the Southwest Review, The Mississippi Review, Southword Journal, and The Drum (audio), among other publications. He was shortlisted by the Bridport Prize and Southword Journal. His poetry has appeared in The Ekphrastic Review, Gnashing Teeth Publishing, The Galway Review, Bold + Italic, Litbreak, Subterranean Blue Poetry, The Blue Nib, Red Dirt Forum, and elsewhere.  His chapbook, “Do Not Forsake Me,” was published in 2017 and is still available at Finishing Line Press and Amazon. His first full-length book of poetry was published last April by Kelsay Press. He’s working on another. He lives in Massachusetts.

Bee

The bee slips under the inch
at the window’s bottom,
rounds the room with a roar.
The original drone, a killer.

I search for a newspaper,
but there’s only my laptop,
a couple of tomatoes,
and a glass of lemonade.

The honey-starved devil,
as big as a hummingbird,
circles the sweet potion,
murder in his compound eye

with its thousands of lenses,
as well as an insect determination
we can hardly imagine.
Gently and slowly I rise from

my chair, back out of
the kitchen, quickly slam
the door. Maybe I’ll return
with the coming of the cold.