He tread alone along the winding path
That mimicked his spine with its turns and dips.
In truth he was replete with self-misery
Seeing only himself and the life before,
What he had and had lost, now replaced only with pain
Of a more mental kind; though his bones were truly sore.

He had wandered too far and surely the road must soon come to a stop
For he had seen it all, done it all, suffered it all,
At least so he had thought.
Surely this next turn marked the bittersweet end;
As he discerned an old wooden bench just around the bend.

And fine he thought, he would sit and rest and perhaps it will end
So he stopped and turned and let his haunches press the kind wood,
Taking the weight from his core, while still ponderous in thought.
And a brisk breeze welcomed his atrophied body as he sat
While hoping this wind would whisk him away
From where? to where? he really did not care
As he bent to the ground with a vacant stare.

But down there in the grasses, he espied life in the form of an ant
Who was struggling along with some burden twice his size and weight,
(Not that I ever weighed an ant!)
Then the ant stopped his trek and looked up and asked:
“What is your problem old man?”
Now our friend showed no great reaction to the question before him, except to reply:
“ You know ants are not supposed to be able to talk, my friend”
To which the ant replied “And polite people do
not stare!”.
Now the Man with the Cane could not resist to ask:
( I mean it is not every day you get to speak to an ant!)
“Where are you going ? Why are you carrying such a huge burden? Why don’t you take it easy, rest and enjoy your short precarious and precious life.?
(Well the ant was obviously taken aback)
The ant looking puzzled, ( I had a magnifying glass!) replied to our friend
“Why don’t you? I am going where I am going.The reason why is because. I happen to like my travails and my risky outings and the one just around the next blade. Get a grip Old Man. After all I am only an ant !”.





Now our our Old Man was puzzled and had no more to say,
It mattered little as the ant was already well on his way.
Reflecting on this odd event which had come and gone just like the sudden breeze
He rose and continued on his march, but strangely with much more ease.
Knowing not where he was going or why, but not really caring,
As the aches and pains were less, but of course still there.

And he thought to himself that if this little petulant ant can get by,
Well darn it to Hell, so can I!

07/14/2009

Author's Note: With Apologies to Aesop..

Posted on 07/14/2009
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