The Ant And The Shade Tree

Written for Ten Word Challenge

 

 The Ant And The Shade Tree

 

I could not imagine my life without him.

But I knew if things didn't change soon,

we might well seperate. We had argued

and I walked out, and I knew without

a doubt it would never be the same again.

As I was wandering aimlessly down
a trail that apparently led to nowhere,
a soft rain begin to gently fall. I thought,

"what a time to be without my umbrella."

 

I saw in the distance what appeared to be a
summer shade tree, and ran wildly toward
the only source of protection I could see.
The branches were low, forming a canopy
of green leaves so low to the ground,
I had to sit down to be below them.
I sat there, my tears falling like the rain
till I could weep no more. After a while,

I knew I would have to get up and go

home to whatever awaited me there. 
 

I looked around, noticing things in nature
that I very rarely paid heed to. I saw an
industrious little ant working furiously to
separate a portion of a green leaf that
had fallen to the ground. It seemed, no doubt,
this was the ant's means of survival.
I wondered what logic my husband would see
in this simple fact of nature. We had argued
about money. The fact that he couldn't seem
to keep a job because he was not willing to
do manual labor. Somehow, I had to make him
see that he must learn to be more like that ant.

The ant had to work like that to survive. 

 

It has been said that hard work has it's own rewards.
Now...if I could just get him to learn the lesson
from the ant, that I had known all along. Survival
of the fittest is the oldest law of nature.

 

 

 

Reviews

[Helena]

rotfl......not at your poem Liz, but that little critter ant that I tried to flick off my
computer screen!!! (You are a wag) lol.

Well this was a great story with a good lesson. Don't you just love ants?....
I do, well not when they get into the picnic basket of course, but you have to admire their
industrious nature. I just love watching them scurrying about and kind of greeting
each other as they go about their work.

Well done for Tovli's challenge and the 10 words were effortlessly embeded in this
fabulous write!

Helena :)

[Tony Hwilka]

Liz, Iwas trying to get that bug off my screen for about 5 minutes. You had me going. A fine write but one bad line -- a soft rain begin to gently fall -- a soft rain begins to fall.-- if rain is soft then it is gentle. My opinion and again a great write. Tony

[emmajoy]

A wonderful piece of writing and with such gentle power and imagination. You've set this so well, format, wording, meter... and gently added a moral and the contest entry too... so clever, colourful.

Have you watched an art carry a blade of grass? Incredible ... imagine a man carrying a girder!

In the south of France, tent pitched by the side of a palm tree, I'd watch ants travel up the main, turn left along the one side of a branch, then, return along the other side ... up the main, then to the next branch, etc. etc. etc. - endlessly travelling, day in day out, day in day out probably ad infinitum! If only Man was as industrious...

Thank you for sharing such an inspired piece of writing. Love the little creature!

[Sharon Miller Bolander]

Great story, Liz! It's a good thing there still are people not afraid of physical labor, or we'd all be a sad lot. I watched the garbage being collected yesterday and know not many would want that job. On a side note, your little ant is infecting my screen, I fear! Hopefully, he hasn't sent a call out to all his friends. :-) Sharon

[Fran Marie]

Yes,'survival of the fittest' it is the oldest the oldest law of nature~it is wise to pay attention

to these little fellows in their industrial ways ~ what a statement they certainly do make~

Cute lil' bugger picture at the end there, Liz~Hey Helena, don't kill that critter~lol~

He has work to do~THanks for sharing this great piece Liz.

Fran

[Lewis Findley]

well said sis, and very true, consider the ant, king solomon. Amen

[Suelou]

As always, you did the challenge very well. Ants are fasinating to watch.
I knew someone like that, once. He thought I was going to work, and he stay home. HaHaHa! That is just what he thought. I told him my daddy didn't raise no fool. I sure put a damper on his plans.

Sue/Sis/OklahomaRose

[imm's place]

Elizabeth ,
I loved this stiry. i will be waiting patiently for part to. this is a good lead in for an excellent story. It held my attention all the way through, mary

[angelina neves]

Lovely story! very well written. A real pleasure to read!
(not that i really agree that we must work for the money, but just for the pleasure of doing what we really like to do, even if for that we must give up other things! But that is me out in the jungle and not in the midle of the wild dangerous bush that is america!!)