Wise Ant Fable

Returning home a wise ant
stopped to talk to a grasshopper bent
on singing all day and playing with girls:
as winter approaches and snow unfurls
covering and hardening all food to ice
gather and shelter or you’ll pay the price

For not preparing by thinking ahead
from cold and hunger you’ll be dead
being positive won’t change a thing
singing in winter doesn’t make spring
her words of wisdom grasshopper didn’t heed
from hunger and cold died indeed.

The ant in her home protected well
from wintry ice and snow as it fell
with food and milk from aphids’ paid rent
with family and friends her winter well spent
in peace and comfort because prepared ahead.
Today's regrets are yesterday's neglects.

Ninth Place Winner: Fire Bird-Short Story Poem-11/22/24
Honorable Mention-Crystol Woods-Allegory Fable-3/24/25
Copyright © | Year Posted 2021

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Woods Avatar
March 24, 2025 at 6:41 AM
The ants seem to have so much to teach us humans! This was a great story and example of fables! Ty for entering! Xo
Alex Avatar
January 22, 2024 at 10:00 PM
The traditional tale with a perpetually fitting moral: "Today's regrets are yesterday's neglects". Congratulations!
Kendrick Avatar
March 16, 2021 at 2:12 PM
The kind of story that was told for years to youth so that there was a moral to teach a lesson. You have applied the idea very well in this work of poetic expression. Enjoyed reading it today. Thanks for your visit. Sara
Pettit Avatar
February 2, 2021 at 11:45 AM
Good rhyming and descriptiveness in this "see, I told you so" type of poem.
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