[Note: Some people are changing their ways, using green energy, staying local instead of mindlessly vacationing via terrible fossil fuel aircraft and diesel ships, recycling, being vegetarians, and creating more drastically needed environmental awareness. However, not enough people, by any means, are changing. Most mindlessly stick to the bourgeois status quo… needlessly flying in jets all over the place (to relax), using huge cruise ships, and not doing much to help the environment. All major mass extinctions on earth occurred when CO2 levels exceeded a thousand parts per million (ppm). Carbon dioxide levels are now changing about 25,000 times faster than in known geologic history; methane, too, is being released at unprecedented rates. We must do better as a species or the following poem, unfortunately, will hold true.]
natural business
no plastics
no foul fossil fumes
not just on and under terra firma
arboreal too
six legs
hooded antenna
agile cooperative stealthy curious
will be here long after
the foolish bipedal apes
destroy their world with indifference
and chemicals
ant business (1) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
ant business (2) Photo by Thomas Peace c. 2018
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
I always wonder if the six-legged future masters of the earth wouldn’t do a better job than we are doing. Nice poem and pics!
Thank you! 🙂 They have their limits too. They probably won’t understand the whole. However, they won’t ruin the whole of everything.
A great poem! Ants will out survive us!
Thank you… and like what i wrote to thelongview… 🙂
Welcome!
Truth!
Wondering what sort of camera you used to capture the ants so exquisitely …?? I think there’s a macro-specific camera on my horizon, so open to recommendations.
It’s an old FujiFilm FinePix 30 that is no longer in production. It often takes better macro pics than my fancy cameras. Macro is where it’s at for me! 🙂
We must, as yo say, do more, the deckchairs can look after themselves this time,
Yes indeed, Paul! 🙂 It’s like the world is the Titanic, and people are dancing, overeating, and partying (while the whole damn thing is quickly sinking)! Sad!
Absolutely Tom, and yes, sad
I waffle back and forth between two poles, no pun intended.
Firstly, I wonder what can be done, how much is left, can humankind stall or reverse its present excess and abuse on this blue ball. If so, what will be left for saving?
Conversely, I think in a cosmic sense, the four billion-year plan, how the planet might be better off entirely without us (humans). I’m comforted by the fact that by then, this will be as the flash of a lightning bug, a chimera in a stream, the blink of a cosmic eye, and this planet will go on to be what it is bound to be, as we become dust.
Seek peace,
Paz
We can fit in harmoniously if we are caring enough and intelligent enough. To “give up” is ludicrous and heartless. Man can be a healthy part of nature. One thing is for sure: No one is advocating much more population-control… which is extremely important in all this!
Plastic is my pet peeve. Estimates show that in the next decade, more plastic will be made than has ever been made already. Stop! Enough! Convenient living isn’t even fun or challenging. Wasteful and ugly. So I can have 6 ounces of yogurt I also get a container that lasts a thousand years in a landfill. Good thinking.
Yes, Jim! 🙂 We recycle our plastics but realize that a lot of people do not… and the oceans are turning into cesspools. Much more needs to be done. It’s unbelievable about how much of the oceans are being affected in such a short span of time!
The sentence: …destroy their world with indifference – is really very true. Everybody wants to live “comfortable” and nobody cares for the enivronment. What are we doing to the earth? Have a nice day, regards Mitza
Some care… but not enough! We all can do better! Often i am ashamed of my own species. It makes one want to cry.
I can really understand this feeling. When I‘m in Greece and see all the plastic at the beaches, I want to cry, too:(
First, what an awesome macro! Second, we try but probably not as hard as we should. People always say save the planet…the planet will bounce back…we won’t.
We can do so much better in so many respects, but, just as you say, we don’t try hard enough. We can’t look at what other people are doing. We must do the right thing regardless of what the ignorant (uncaring) masses do!
I must try harder. I know there are many areas we can improve but don’t because of the time it takes. But in the end, if our time runs out literally, our laziness did us no good. Best to keep that in mind!
In most peoples thinking, that is if they ever think about it at all, the effects of climate change will not happen to a marked degree in their lifetime and probably not in their kids lifetimes either. So they are not going to worry about it and see it as someone else’s problem way down the road. The majority of the people on this planet cannot think either for or beyond themselves…
They think for themselves but not for others… and “others” refers not just to humans, but especially to animals and plants that are (far and away) over-abused and used. Hell is already happening in big weather changes now. Look at all the flooding, wildfires on the west coast, Nor-easters, hurricanes, and on and on. The runaway effect is probably already happening, unfortunately.
We continue to make such a negative impact on the world. Not enough of us are changing.
Nice poem and photo. We tend to forget about the little creatures, as you say.
Like what was written to Francis up above… all kinds of things are happening. I forgot to mention the droughts, like in your area. Yes, the little creatures; they must suffer because of one indifferent species!
Thank you, Scifi! 🙂
You’re welcome. 🙂
We are reaping what we have sown, so it’s our own fault really.
Yes, and it is unfair that the animals and plants have to suffer too!
Exquisite photo and insightful poem, Tom. And I agree that we’re working to reverse environmental damage fast enough. I’m not very optimistic about the future.
should say, not working to reverse environmental damage fast enough
Yes, not fast enough. We’re on the Titanic mindlessly partying… while the whole damn thing is quickly sinking! And when i tell relatives that i don’t care to visit their fancy vacation home in far-off Florida… they look at me like i’m the one who is crazy!
Sad but true, Tom.
Too true! Too sad!
Can only hope that we’ll come to our senses. Excellent post.
Thank you much, Belinda! I realize how close to nature you are! I’m 66, and even as a kid, i saw it coming. Chemicals and fossil fuels don’t mix with nature well and, believe me, the powers that be are covering a lot of the truth up about all this. Even the rocks of quarries in our area are degrading unnaturally fast and blackening due to acid rain and pollution; it is ridiculous!
Nice, I wish I could take such wonderful close-ups!
You can, Michael; it just takes practice and even inexpensive cameras can take superb macros! 🙂
So true. Love this beautiful image!
Thanks much, Amy! 🙂 Keep snappin’!
Great post! The world would be a much better place without humans I suspect. There is not a species alive more violent and more out of sync with our environment than us. I do think that we’ve made it hard to change though…I’m trying bit by bit but so many things seem engrained in our culture as to make change difficult. But that doesn’t mean we should give up.
Yes, we shouldn’t give up! We are very out of sync with the environment and with nature. Like was mentioned to Scifi, it is so unfair that the animals and plants have to suffer because of manmade indifference and disorder.
Beautiful photograph and thought provoking poem.
You inspire to want to change…bravo!
Beautiful picture and words.
Gorgeous photographs and inspiring words.