Ant

Walking in the park today

I saw a trail of ants

So tiny were they that

I had to stop and watch

I was amazed by what I saw

Each had their own place

All struggling against the trail

Determined to find a way.

They toiled all day long

Until their work was done

Lugging loads twice their size.

Toiling beneath the sun.

Like little gladiators they fought

Beetles, bugs, defending their home.

Carrying off their dead in ceremony.

How exciting their lives

Being played out before me. 

Realizing their short mortality made me think:

What have I done today?

My determination, courage, and caring

Is not in comparison to these tiny souls.

There and then I made myself a promise

That until my end I will live

Just as bravely as the ant.