Invasion of the Ants

When I was a boy
Someone had an ant farm
I don’t remember who
But it was a miraculous thing
Through the glass I could see them
Making their tunnels in the sand
Sometimes I went outside
And played in the sand
And made tunnels like an ant
And sometimes I’d find ants’ nests
And watch them for a while
And then slowly dig and uncover their tunnels
I was a curious boy
I don’t remember them biting me
Although they may have at times
I vaguely remember them crawling on me
And watching them waving their antennae
I did at some point learn about bull ants
So they must have bit me at some point
So I might have flicked one or two off
Or squashed one or two at some point
And felt my power to be able to do so
But I really don’t remember

Then later, much later, when I was older
I’d walk, head down, because I was shy
And also so I could see the ants
And step around them
So as not to squash them
I felt quite noble doing this
And hoped that God noticed
And saw what a good fellow I was
A kind soul who cared about little things
A good soul who cared about the ants
And other little creatures like ladybirds
Not so much about spiders or flies
Or mosquitoes or centipedes or fleas
But most other little creatures for sure
I felt I was worthy of good things
I felt karma owed me for being kind
I even felt worthy of love

Then later, much later, when I was older
I couldn’t help but notice the ants
Swarming all over the cats’ food
I’d tip the food into the garden
So the ants could still quietly enjoy it
Each day I’d do this patiently
And curse once in a while
Then gradually curse a bit more
At the so called growing waste
At the annoyance of these invaders
Interrupting our simple little lives
Then I started using the hose
To clean the cats’ bowls and to drown them
Not the cats of course
But the blasted invading ants
But they’d soon be back
Swarming over the food
So I’d follow their trails
And track them down to their holes
Right to their nests
And I’d use poisons and powders and granules
To kill them, pests that they were
They’d hide for a while
But soon came back
So I’d repeat the doses, over and over
And they’d hide and come back
Swarming over the bowls
So almost at my whits end, I called the exterminator
And over he came and sprayed everywhere
In the garden beds, in the shed
All over the grass, he was very thorough
Then suddenly – no more ants

Until months later … when they came back
They came back slowly
Just a few little ones in the cats’ bowls
Then inside near the sink
I sprayed and powdered, and sprinkled my granules
And still they came back
I cursed and squashed and drowned too when I could
Then they left the sink and the bowls
So I searched for them and their holes and nests
And found them and went to my big local hardware store
And bought strong chemicals guaranteed to kill
And my holocaust began
And my war raged on
And my genocide wore on
And my annihilation was fierce and swift
And then they were gone from my place, again
Probably to neighbours’ places
I cared a little, but not a lot
At least they were gone from mine
And I could feed my cats in peace
And sit back and lie back, fat and happy
On my big fat couch
Contented with my victory
For me and my poor cats
Free from those pesky invading ants
And life was good
Except for work, and the whinging cats
Each night when I got home
Crying for their food
Outdoing each other to be first
But life was mostly good
Apart from work
And the attention seeking cats
And my dying parents
And my dying self
And my dying little world