The Howl of a Bee Sting

I imagine
that if I were a mother,
I could instantly recognize the cry
from a bee sting, no matter where I was at
in relation to the child at hand.

And for those of you who may not know,
a back yard bee sting in the arch of the foot
by a small honey bee is the worst.
The way the area swells up
makes walking awkward--like walking on a ball.
And the itching!

But of course, being stung by a hornet
or a wasp
is pretty bad too. A wasp can leave multiple stings.
A hornet can leave a deep, red punture wound.

I imagine my kids would be sorry the little critter
died in the act of stinging (in most cases),
but secretly, I'd want to squish the little bug.
The bee; not the kid.