A POETIC DIVERSION

The Ants: A Tale

It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about? — Henry David Thoreau

Photo by Maksim Shutov on Unsplash

The Ants

They build their cities beneath the soil,
a life of diligence and toil,
attending to their daily tasks
in the service of what the community asks,
serving in darkness, no flags unfurled,
oblivious to that outer world
until their nation becomes a mound
rising up ever higher with nary a sound.

It’s the day they get noticed by Mr. Brown
and the sight of it makes him feel just a bit down
for he owns the land, the fields, this yard
and he himself also worked very hard
to keep it sharp, a carpet of green
and though he’s not been generally mean
he’s also got a measure of pride
that causes him to gloat inside
about keeping his lawn all smooth and flat,
both far and wide, and that is that.