All's Fair for Ants and Butter

Cake! It's what's for Metaphor!

All's Fair for Ants and Butter

(I) The Ant March

ants on a molehill

we watch them

and wonder at the inanity of worker ants

marching

marching

endlessly marching

on a globe spinning

in a universe vaster than them

by degrees upon degrees upon unfathomable degrees

and we watch

with superior bemusement and sanctimony

as if we are better

marching

marching

endlessly marching

on a globe spinning

in a granverse vaster than us

by degrees upon degrees upon unfathomable degrees

who are we

for surely

we are ants, too

marching

marching

marching

(II) Laughter

laughter is the best medicine

for

this sickness

this ill misery

this confusion

between what matters

and what doesn't

who matters

and who doesn't

laughter is the best tonic

for

this poison

this sap zappery

this bewildering

upping of down

and downing of up

truthing of lie

and lying of truth

laughter is real in a land of make fake

laughter is light in a box of dark

laughter is joy in a field of thunder

laughter is effortless in a sea of work

(III) Poetry

poetry is breathing

because breathing is

and I am

are you breathing?

then, where, your poetry?

poetry of motion

poetry of still

poetry of song

poetry of lyric

poetry of form

poetry of function

if you are not creating poetry

are you living?

or are you dead

breathing breaths of

not breathing

living lives of

not living?

be a poet

live

(IV) Giving

for him

I scale the tallest tower

for her

I seek the rarest flower

for him

I sail the farthest shore

for her

I tend the cliffs of lore

for him

I sing the boldest refrain

for her

I dance twixt drops of rain

for him

my heart is the giving tree

for her

my soul is true and free

(V) Let's Meet in the Middle

butter side up

butter side down

neither one secures the crown

one lump out

two lumps in

neither one nails the win

for right and left

are neither best

nor north nor south

nor east nor west

the middle is

the realm of grey

therein the truth

enlightens the sway

(VI) In Doubt, In Love

daisy petals of love

     too

     new

     will he or won't he

          lie with me

dandelion tufts of ephemeral

     autumn

     brisk

     will he or won't he

          heart be'risk

holly berries of ever in breathless blankets

     of

     snow

     will he or won't he

          dream a'go

blossoms abloom on dew

     lush

     morn

     will he or won't he

          renew reborn

in doubt
     in
     love

     will he or won't he

          if

          of

Fin

Note

As with Too Turtledove, the poems above are by no means the only compositions that have traipsed across my thoughts of late...

The rest prevail unpublished here, there, and elsewhere... 

ever yours,

a m