1000 eyes

standing alone,
near the end,
of another working day,
unknowing that I am,
being watched by,
a 1000 eyes,
from the grass,
across the road,
beyond the parking space,

a 1000 eyes,
just waiting for me to go,
home and to my nest,
so a 1000 eyes,
can get on with it,
doing what they do best,
without interference from us,
a life form they detest,

and when I’m gone it’s a different story,
the whole lot makes a sigh of relief,
as a 1000 eyes start to smile again,
opening their doors to a different world below.

and every ant is clapping two pairs of hands,
can you hear the rhythm of the colony clapping?
myrmica rubra, common ant to me,
dancing to the beat of the clapping , so happy,
and they are dancing about being set free,
no one knows of this party inside,
they are so happy as a little ant can be,
dancing away now away from humanity,

all the insects in the long wet grass,
put all their differences aside,
myrmica rubra is a possessive aggressive little bastard,
but for one night it is at peace,
and the grass snake is hissing a tune,
and the crickets are chirping away,
this is music to the ears of this community,
and every ant is clapping two pairs of hands,
standing on its hind legs looking quite a sight,
on this gorgeous damp moonlit night,

Screech nears the perimeter to have a look-see,
curious of ants, threatened by Scratch,
the new furry red cat, robbed of his bed,
and in the distance he can hear music somehow,
and the ants are clapping away,
showing all their strength by this beat,
Screech is confused and does not know what to say,
he hears snakes hissing and crickets chirping,
the bang on he head from Scratch has led him this way,

there is so much free honeydew,
for all and for me and you,
have some fresh pollen, it’s on me,
don’t be shy there now, it’s all free,

and the ants keep clapping away,
there is nothing but joy and nothing to say,
and the crickets and snakes join in,
the owls paid to have a night off,
and the bats are too blind to see,
but they can hear a great party going on,
and they’d love to join in this song,
now that would be pretty absurd,
that would be the daftest thing I’ve heard,
how can a bat dance to an ant song?
that would be unnatural and so wrong!

and the rhythm carries on into the night,
myrmica rubra likes honeydew alright,
must have been something in the water,
to make these insects dance like that,

and every ant keeps clapping away,
and the snakes are hissing,
crickets crik , crik , crik!
and Screech finally sleeps,
and Scratch lashes out,
or does she?

©D.Hobson January 2014