The Ant.

• Matthew Chen , Grade 7
• Poetry
• 2022

The ant was a humble creature, nothing more, nothing less, than an ant.
One day, while foraging for food, the ant found a photograph.
Suddenly, The Ant knew.
The Ant knew of pain, and how terrifyingly it was. And it knew of hunger, and how dull it was.
And it knew of joy, and how pleasurable it was. And it knew of fear, and how full of terror it was.
And it knew of despair, and how aching it was. And it knew of fun, and how exciting it was.
And it knew of anger, and how hot it was. And it knew of love, and how sickeningly addictive it was.
And it knew of grief, and how isolating it was.
And…
And…
And…it was an Ant.
Dazed, it stepped back. It had no need for these complex emotions, for it needed to collect food.
Because in the end, it was nothing more, nothing less,
than an Ant.