THE BIGGER THING
Jest yesterday I watched an antA-totin’ in the summer sun;I saw him puff an’ pull an’ pantWith little burdens, one by one.A wisp of straw acrost his wayOnce kept him busy fer an hour,An’ ant-miles long he walked that dayTo git around a bloomin’ flower.The sand he carried grain by grain—Great boulders thet he had to lift—An’, with his engineerin’ brain,He sunk his shaft an’ run his drift.An’ then at night a Bigger Thing,To which the Little Thing must kneel,Creation’s self-appointed king,Wiped out the anthill with its heel.O self-made boss of things thet creepAn’ walk an’ fly, an’ yet are mute,When I consider how you keepYour kingdom of the bird an’ brute,When I consider how you speakYour will among the smaller folkAn’ send your message to the weakIn flyin’ lead an’ flamin’ smoke,When I consider how you stalkThe quiet wood with evil breathAn’ leave behind you, as you walk,A path of pain an’ trail of death,I wonder how ’twould seem to you,The silent people’s lord an’ king,To tremble when you heard it, too—The comin’ of some Bigger Thing?
Jest yesterday I watched an antA-totin’ in the summer sun;I saw him puff an’ pull an’ pantWith little burdens, one by one.A wisp of straw acrost his wayOnce kept him busy fer an hour,An’ ant-miles long he walked that dayTo git around a bloomin’ flower.The sand he carried grain by grain—Great boulders thet he had to lift—An’, with his engineerin’ brain,He sunk his shaft an’ run his drift.An’ then at night a Bigger Thing,To which the Little Thing must kneel,Creation’s self-appointed king,Wiped out the anthill with its heel.O self-made boss of things thet creepAn’ walk an’ fly, an’ yet are mute,When I consider how you keepYour kingdom of the bird an’ brute,When I consider how you speakYour will among the smaller folkAn’ send your message to the weakIn flyin’ lead an’ flamin’ smoke,When I consider how you stalkThe quiet wood with evil breathAn’ leave behind you, as you walk,A path of pain an’ trail of death,I wonder how ’twould seem to you,The silent people’s lord an’ king,To tremble when you heard it, too—The comin’ of some Bigger Thing?
Jest yesterday I watched an antA-totin’ in the summer sun;I saw him puff an’ pull an’ pantWith little burdens, one by one.A wisp of straw acrost his wayOnce kept him busy fer an hour,An’ ant-miles long he walked that dayTo git around a bloomin’ flower.The sand he carried grain by grain—Great boulders thet he had to lift—An’, with his engineerin’ brain,He sunk his shaft an’ run his drift.An’ then at night a Bigger Thing,To which the Little Thing must kneel,Creation’s self-appointed king,Wiped out the anthill with its heel.O self-made boss of things thet creepAn’ walk an’ fly, an’ yet are mute,When I consider how you keepYour kingdom of the bird an’ brute,When I consider how you speakYour will among the smaller folkAn’ send your message to the weakIn flyin’ lead an’ flamin’ smoke,When I consider how you stalkThe quiet wood with evil breathAn’ leave behind you, as you walk,A path of pain an’ trail of death,I wonder how ’twould seem to you,The silent people’s lord an’ king,To tremble when you heard it, too—The comin’ of some Bigger Thing?
Jest yesterday I watched an ant
A-totin’ in the summer sun;
I saw him puff an’ pull an’ pant
With little burdens, one by one.
A wisp of straw acrost his way
Once kept him busy fer an hour,
An’ ant-miles long he walked that day
To git around a bloomin’ flower.
The sand he carried grain by grain—
Great boulders thet he had to lift—
An’, with his engineerin’ brain,
He sunk his shaft an’ run his drift.
An’ then at night a Bigger Thing,
To which the Little Thing must kneel,
Creation’s self-appointed king,
Wiped out the anthill with its heel.
O self-made boss of things thet creep
An’ walk an’ fly, an’ yet are mute,
When I consider how you keep
Your kingdom of the bird an’ brute,
When I consider how you speak
Your will among the smaller folk
An’ send your message to the weak
In flyin’ lead an’ flamin’ smoke,
When I consider how you stalk
The quiet wood with evil breath
An’ leave behind you, as you walk,
A path of pain an’ trail of death,
I wonder how ’twould seem to you,
The silent people’s lord an’ king,
To tremble when you heard it, too—
The comin’ of some Bigger Thing?