as kids Jack and I played ants in a bowl.
collect ants
put them in a bowl
introduce them to swimming.
sometimes we took the ants to the water ourselves,
to let them be rocked by the big water.
sometimes on a clear big day with no clouds
we lost the bowl.
sometimes on a big day of climbing the same
beyond-problem a little water gets on your head
making it nice to be tired.
sometimes too much water,
the ants promptly drowned.
sometimes after tugboating a bowl of ants in water
writhing ants got stuck in my hair,
helpless as a cashier, or Saran-Wrap.
Jack and I responded to this new problem
as best we could, with blame & emphasis.
it’s not an easy thing,
to transport a bowl of ants.
cdzhouse 