Today when I had started writing a children’s story on ants, I was reminded of this poem that I wrote in 2016. Dear readers, it is always good to have a dose of rhyming poetry before the prose😊
Every day we go in search of dear food
chains of us in queue till we get shooed
crane at our folks going the other way
we always are a army having our say.
Descending in numbers at any place
no stampede as we increase our pace
no one knowing from where we came
wonder it seems we all look the same.
We change our course to get to our food
though near it seems, it has to be good
none bothers as we take it to our stay
we act sober and collective on our way.
Wary of wind or a stream of cold water
pranks of a kid as we try climb a platter
flanks of us leaving behind our dead
there are things in life we seldom dread.
Every time you see us marching along
like a silent long forgotten folk song
Well knit as one doing our own tasks
all the while storing food for wasps.
As you stumble upon our brittle house
refrain please to drench us and douse
slain and lifeless we lie by your clout
We had homes till you wiped us out.
Perceptions 
Reminded me of the poem I studied in school, the ant and the cricket.. where the zealous ant worked hard to store food for winter, while the cricket played along and remained hungry, knocking at the ant’s door cold and hungry! and also of course, the food chain diagrams 🙂
Yes I too had read that story Ash.
ah! I like the images of poem brings up
Lovely Sunith… enjoyed reading the post very much… Ants are one persevering creatures!
Thank you Shivangi. Yes, they truly are.
The conclusion is such sad truth. Your poem is so interesting and telling their story so well. I love the lines –
no stampede as we increase our pace
no one knowing from where we came
wonder it seems we all look the same.
and
we act sober and collective on our way.
Thank you so much. The comments are well spaced here in the notifications. Even the poem in the reader has lost all line spacing for me.
*oops wordpress took away all line spacing in my comment above. Hoping it makes sense, apologize for how it got posted.
They are the most hardworking creatures around. Nice poem Sunith with a sad ending though.
Thank you Radhika
Lovely and hardworking creatures but poor things we will only crunch them the moment we see them. A nice poem, Sunith.
Thank you Kamal
Welcome Sunith.
What a great way to describe it, in a poem. Wow.
Thank you Laleh
My pleasure.
A wonderful poem Sunith. I remember my aaji (granny) used to say we must not hurt earth while walking and must always see before we put our feet on ground. At least not to hurt a single creature.
Thank you Rupali. Yes we should not hurt the one who sustains us and others who take solace in her.