The Robin and the Worm
Springtime’s about and I venture out
On a perfect gardening day
I prune and shear I cut and clear
And watch the robin hovering near
It’s never very far away
From disturbed earth a worm appears
And winds across the grass
Its progress though is rather slow
While it decides which way to go
The watching robin pounces fast
The worm puts up a dogged fight
As robin spears it’s length
Despite persistent peck attack
This generous meal is fighting back
But slowly, sadly, losing strength
And as it writhes from side to side
It plays a master stroke
Just as you’d think it’s bound to fail
It cleaves in two and leaves it’s tail
This fighting worm has gone for broke!
While robin clears up worm remains
The living half’s away
Recovering from it’s bloody fight
It quickly disappears from sight
And lives to squirm another day
Meanwhile the robin, full of worm
Has eaten of it’s fill
Despite the fact it does espy
With head cocked and a beady eye
The worm escaping still.
I ponder on this garden fight
So fierce in beak and claw
The robin fully satisfied
The worm’s decease that was denied
And I am minded to decide
It’s proof that ‘less is more’!
A friend of ours would often state ‘plenty for the needy; not for the greedy’, a phrase so eminently sensible, logical and right, I often thought it would be a great thing if we could all practice what it preaches.
And, referring to the example of this post’s poem, nature demonstrates it’s ability to instinctively adapt to the rule of plenty and paucity. I’m not suggesting that the robin was looking to the future when it let half of it’s meal escape; although it did look a bit bloated! Rather, that it trusted nature to provide for another day.
I know that I’m not the only one who sees more clearly, day by day, the ever widening gulf between the world’s rich and poor. I listen to reports of starving populations, caused by drought, flood, fire or war. In so many parts of the world the needy predominate. They don’t ask for much; enough to eat, a place to live, education for their children and the ability to provide for their families.
Meanwhile, at the top of the pyramid, the greedy live to accumulate; seemingly rarely stopping to think ‘Have I got enough now?’ Money grows more money, inflating in value all along the line.
Example 1: I read of the demise of an art work, which has been shattered in some gallery somewhere. Evidently it was worth thousands of pounds; but it wasn’t unique. In fact it was one of 799 of the same work; and definitely not made by the original artist.
Example 2: A football club is bought by dint of foisting the debt of purchase onto the club’s books. A once solvent club’s ‘value’ has been inflated, to the point that is then regarded as ‘insolvent’. Some years later it’s ‘sold on’ at a nice large profit for the owners who borrowed the original purchase money!
And, last but not least, the proliferation of ‘Agencies’ in many walks of life. These ‘middlemen and women’ are now ubiquitous in the fields of employment, accommodation renting and buying; and public and private services.
Their fees, that are inserted between the vendors and the buyers, always inflate the final cost to the consumer. The companies, private bodies and contractors who utilize their services, shelve off the taking of responsibility for their actions; and conveniently ignore the results of their decisions on the recipients, of the ever increasing cost.
Hence we have growing emergencies of supply and demand in all these fields. The glaring paradox of greed destroying the source of it’s bounty is so evident, that I’m still hopeful that, eventually, the human race will learn the lesson that Nature so generously displays; for free!
What a delightful poem and what sensible comments .