B. Wordsworth

“We had four small gru-gru palm trees and they were full of uninvited bees.”

The bees in the garden are “uninvited” (32), hinting at humanity’s conflict with nature. The bees are natural creatures trying to survive in the gru-gru palm trees. They have no concept of ownership or of being invited to a place. Humanity imposes order on the natural world and disrupts nature’s instinctive desire to survive. Like the poet and the boy, the bees want to exist in a world that does not demand they adhere to society’s expectations.

“His English was so good it didn’t sound natural, and I could see my mother was worried.”

The use of “good” (32) English is treated with suspicion by the boy’s mother. She helps many homeless or desperate people; the arrival of a man who speaks well makes her wary, prompting her to question whether someone seemingly so educated might have a hidden agenda. The boy’s mother is justifiably worried in a country where good spoken English is associated with colonial power. Wordsworth’s accent causes him to appear as an agent of colonial control even though he is not.

“I ain’t have the time.”

The boy claims that he does not have the time needed to sit with Wordsworth and watch the bees. The boy’s excuse hints at the way contemporary society clashes with childhood innocence. The boy’s schedule is full of chores and the rigorous demands of his world; the society does not accommodate nature, nor does it allow for children to sit down and appreciate the world they inhabit.