Summary

The poem begins with a description of the wasps that repeatedly return to collect water at the speaker's faucet. The insects do this to cool their nests. In the fourth line, the speaker examines the way the wasps carry a water droplet without wetting their wings. The speaker compares the broom they use to dispel the wasps to a flaming pitchfork. Though the speaker characterizes their interaction with the wasps as a "dance" in Line 6, they wish to disengage with this violent dance later in Line 11.

The world encourages each species to pursue survival. Low grass and a hint of a crescent moon strike the speaker as reasons to cling to life. Some situations call for attack, defense, or surrender. In Line 16, the speaker asks the wasps whether they will continue seeking water even if the speaker scatters them with a broom.

Analysis

“Wasps...