Ants And The Lessons They Teach

In a cluttered heap Under an empty tin Settled a colony of black ants Neither annoyed by raging heat Nor drenched in pouring rain With intrusion from nowhere, They thrived on as a single swell. The happy residents of this peaceful abode Never deterred by distractions any Survival, being their sole intent Work in unison to meet their needs. Some, like warriors, guard their nest While others go foraging food Each having his assigned role And none fattening on another's sweat A gracious queen here rules the nest, Neither despotic nor imperious Staying inside, patiently laying eggs Knowing, they thrive on increased number. Within the colony, they look a wobbling mass Often as black paint, carelessly daubed Almost glued to a fixed space They hardly move or run around. If on a sudden, an invasion arises In an instant, they burst into thousands And run helter- skelter Hunting for a new settlement As the initial commotion subsides They fall into an unbroken line Each carrying in its tiny mouth Their budding progeny in milky white Those specks of white in larva form And march headlong for pastures, new. Swift is their evacuation Majestic is their migration Oh, what fun! Watching this exodus of black army March solemnly to their destination! Though there exists an abysmal gap Between the mighty men and these tiny ants What valuable lessons they oft teach That put we brags to utter shame Among the umpteen lessons, they glibly teach If we could just emulate the cardinal ones; Their spirit of harmony and collective work No doubt, mankind would be a happier lot!