Ant Attack
I know they are there
but not where exactly
in their nests
behind the boards
up against the hot water pipes
and the electric cables
sensitive
in their clumps of grey matter
waiting for spring
waiting to march up and down the walls
waiting for summer
waiting to take over the world
with their flying queens
and their invasions
battling the hoover's drone
and suction power
spraying their scent
on the curtains
I know one day
I shall have to give way
and go
to live in the woods
with the green woodpecker
for my neighbour
*´´:',."*'-..,: . . . . .
______
gw2009
I am so pleased to hear that it will be you moving out and not them! If you ever read Ronald Blythe - in one of his books he speaks about his hornet's nest which has been in the eaves of his old house for generations - of how he loves them and how harmless they are. (Mind you I am not too keen to be in a closed room with a wasp for company!) Lovely poem.
ReplyDeleteAre you sure that nest is not one of "cold bugs" sneaking out for the attack? Hope the chill is soon better - don't run until it is. Dominic is in Wales - it was the Snowdon marathon yesterday but he has had a strained groin muscle so could not run after all. He decided to completely ignore the race as he was so disappointed. Ah - the perils of being a runner.
ReplyDeleteGet well soon.
Glad I got the right country with the header, even if the wrong place.
O yes we used to get invaded by ants - never liked em since.
ReplyDeleteWeaver, and other visitors, who may have had a sleepless night please enjoy Gerald England's poem Sleepless in Limbo. The search box will bring it up.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read Blythe. I donated my ants book to the church bazaar in my last clearout.
I promise not to run until I'm better :)
Hi Gerald, hope you weren't too sleepless in limbo last night.
ReplyDeleteBest,
Gwilym
My brother-in-law does battle with a blowtorch. Not in the house of course. I'm trying to educate him on the bad karma this produces but he's a slow learner. i like the repetition here, and I especially like the last six lines - the surprise of that green woodpecker most of all
ReplyDeleteThanks for your lovely comments on the poem Mairi.
ReplyDeleteRe the karma thing I expect your brother in law would say of his blowtorch tactics: "But Mairi, I'm not using drugstore chemical warfare like everybody else" and of course he'd have a point.
I've tended to fight the ants with the hoover and from the last trench and always too late. I've tried wiping the floors and windows with vinegar - this has a marginal effect. I really don't know what the answer is, other than keeping a pet woodpecker, but I recently heard that if you put copper coins all around the house the ants will go away. Worth a try, maybe?
Living with a woodpecker - what a way to avoid getting ants in the pants?! Will now be serious, and go to hunt out the Limbo poem...
ReplyDeleteJinksy, are you related to Benny Hill by any chance? You seem to have the same wicked sense of humour. Anyway, I can assure you that the woddpecker in my pants is NOT green >°)
ReplyDelete