An ant on the tablecloth
Ran into a dormant moth
Of many times his size.
He showed not the least surprise.
His business wasn't with such.
He gave it scarcely a touch,
And was off on his duty run.
Yet if he encountered one
Of the hive's enquiry squad
Whose work is to find out God
And the nature of time and space,
He would put him onto the case.
Ants are a curious race;
One crossing with hurried tread
The body of one of their dead
Isn't given a moment's arrest-
Seems not even impressed.
But he no doubt reports to any
With whom he crosses antennae,
And they no doubt report
To the higher-up at court.
Then word goes forth in Formic:
"Death's come to Jerry McCormic,
Our selfless forager Jerry.
Will the special Janizary
Whose office it is to bury
The dead of the commissary
Go bring him home to his people.
Lay him in state on a sepal.
Wrap him for shroud in a petal.
Embalm him with ichor of nettle.
This is the word of your Queen."
And presently on the scene
Appears a solemn mortician;
And taking formal position,
With feelers calmly atwiddle,
Seizes the dead by the middle,
And heaving him high in air,
Carries him out of there.
No one stands round to stare.
It is nobody else's affair
It couldn't be called ungentle
But how thoroughly departmental
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Comments
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Frost has managed to describe how many individual events and activities can be linked together by events beyond our knowledge or experience using the analogy of a colony of ants.
He's also written a great poem even if you don't get below the surface. -
a peek into the world of busy ants, kinda robotic... the harmony and orgainzation among them... captured in vivid details...
that even the burial of a unknown fellow ant, seems to be so much planned in a discipled manner... taking forth the responsibilities in unity... though they dont seem to express emotions...
or maybe the emotions of the ants are not perceptible to human eyes ...
so the burial doesnt seem ungentle... but just carried out with sheer responsibility only...
the ants would have taken such responsibilities, even if it is a bee, which is a different specie...
but they couldnt undertake such responsibilities of disposal... for a moth, which is very huge compared to them... as it could be tedious or impossible...
and so it seems like the ant moves away ... with an air of indifference...
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