“He picked up
a bee!”
is what
Belem shouted, high 
out loud.

I saw a man crouched
over flowers. He
opened his hand,
slow.
We looked for the bee-sting hole,
but none!
None!

He hushed us. He bent over
flowers again.
He grabbed another bee
and shook it
rattle like dice.

Then he went his way.
I shouted, “I won’t forget
you, bee dice man!”

Years I went working
squid bins
and shrimp boats.

One day I went to Iguana Blue Cay
to the bustle market.
There was goings on
by the dice wall.
There was a crowd gathered
whooping.