Watching ants
By Myra King
Giants are we that see
those little mites
of black and legs
following their tales
of trails
carrying to nest
their loads at least
the weight of three
but a mere grain
to you and me
Giants are we that see
those little mites
of black and legs
following their tales
of trails
carrying to nest
their loads at least
the weight of three
but a mere grain
to you and me
The Terrible Tale of Lazy Fred who Starved to Death.
From Aesop’s Fable: The Grasshopper and the Ants.
Grasshopper Fred.
Dark green
Stripes of yellow
Could be seen.
Fred loved to
Hop!
Hop!
Hop!
In the warm summer sun!
Hopping!
Hopping!
Hopping!
Just so much fun!
Ants!
Ants!
Ants!
Small, busy and black.
Never the ones to slack!
Work!
Work!
Work!
Never the ones to shirk!
Fred said:
Why do you work all day?
I would rather play!
The Ants gave their reply:
We work in the summer heat.
We gather food to eat.
We store our winter Supply.
Without food we will die!
Winter came with frost and snow.
Where will poor Fred go?
The ants have locked their door!
Food?
Food?
Food?
No food anymore!
Poor Fred!
Stone dead!
What a marvelous treat!
Sausage rolls.
With grasshopper meat!
Providence U3A: March 16th 2015
* Prudence Marsh is the nom-de-plume of the U3A DIY Poetry Group