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Carpenter Ants
play with me
as if I were
the bug under the microscope
dodging ant traps, their tiny bodies
scuttle around them--these high tech ants—
even borax sprinkled with powdered sugar
doesn’t fool them
clever, oh so clever
as they march one by one
toward the land of milk and honey
yes, I know they are by far just
a fraction of my size
even my foot hovering over their heads
doesn’t deter them
as I wait, watch for the Queen
to make her grand appearance
I know when she finally crawls out
from the cracks of her kingdom
her enormity will take
my breath away and I have to give her
due credit—she rules without a king
so I think it is safe to say
the ant colony is indeed a feminist institution
and to that I must take off my hat
or at least burn my bra
Poem
“Everyday I’m still looking for God
And I’m still finding him everywhere”
Mary Oliver begins one of her poems
and I think “everyday I’m still looking
for god and finding him nowhere”
not in the fertile gardens where she sees
him always, nor the ocean that surprises
us with the thunder of waves, the sand that slips
through our fingers, the half grin of the moon
especially not in the faces of the bewildered
shuffling along the earth, homeless
in their homes, the children playing jump rope
over their crosses, the wayward animals
knocking on anyone’s door
not even in the great poets
burning paper with the wildfires
of their words, the rabbi’s blessing
of the Torah with blistered lips
but maybe, just maybe
in my grandson’s large dark eyes
when he asks—“is god the king of the universe?”
and in the way I find the courage to lie
Gloria g. Murray has been published in many literary journals including Poet Lore, Main Street Rag, Third Wednesday, Paumanok Interwoven Anthology, Long Island Sounds, Kansas City Voices and others. She is also a recipient of poetry awards, including the Paterson Review Ginsberg Competition. A current member of Poets & Writers, Inc., She has also had a one-act play performed at the Northport One-Act Play festival and presented in The Art of the One-Act Anthology.
Email: Gloria g. Murray
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