by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Little Creatures

Photo of a slug by Timothy Meinberg from Unsplash.

Little Creatures

A slug is a lowly creature

traversing diverse terrains.

A body of solid muscle,

he makes smooth and steady gains.

Monarch butterfly caterpillar. Photo by Lasclay from Unsplash.
Monarch butterfly. Photo by Gary Bendig from Unsplash.

Butterfly, a patient creature,

is chewing leaves as time crawls by.

Cocooned in sleep, she dreams and waits

for glory days when she will fly!

Honeybees on honeycomb. Red dot marks queen. Photo by Cool Calm Design from Unsplash.

Honeybees are social creatures.

Exchanging messages, they dance,

sharing locations of flowers…

Honey bees leave nothing to chance!

Photo of an ant by Peter F. Wolf from Unsplash.

Ants are industrious creatures…

Mighty for their minuscule size.

Co-operation builds communities…

Working together is so civilized!

Turtle and fireflies. Photo by Brittney from Unsplash.

Fireflies are delightful creatures,

illuminating the dark.

Unassuming in the daylight,

as nightlights, fireflies make their mark!

Copyright© 2021 by Cheryl Batavia

44 Comments

    1. If I had a garden, Dwight, I probably would not feel too kindly toward slugs. As for the ants, we are at constant war with several species, including fire ants. Ouch! But I do appreciate ants for their immense strength relative to their size and the cooperation that allows them to perform amazing work. To me, the slug teaches a lesson similar to the tortoise and the hare story. I watched one climb my window screen today at a fairly quick pace!

      Thank you for your kind comment, Dwight! ❤ Take care!

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    2. I just googled banana slugs and watched a very interesting video. They really are large and fast-moving! I watched a slug crawl up my window screen yesterday and started writing this poem. That slug must have been about five inches long, not ten and a half inches. I was surprised at how fast it was moving, but it was not moving as fast as the banana snail in the video! Thank you for sharing your experience with a banana snail… Interesting, but creepy, too! ❤

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    1. Thank you, Punam, for your thoughtful and insightful response! I am so happy that you like the poem. ❤ You truly got my meaning. I believe that animal behavior can give us "food for thought." For example, can we work together like the ants and the bees for the good of all?

      I hope that you are having a lovely weekend! 🙂

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  9. Beautiful poem with amazing pics. I liked the piece regarding ants most. Very well done, Cheryl. Enjoyed reading it. Stay blessed and have a lovely weekend 🎉😊💖

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    1. KK, It makes me happy that you enjoyed the poem. Thank you for your lovely response ❤

      We are constantly at war with many different ants here, including fire ants, which have a nasty bite. I admire their strength and the way they work together for the benefit of their communities. Truly amazing animals! 🙂

      Hope you are enjoying your weekend! ❤

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  13. Besides all of those creatures have a complex organization of their body. All of this is wonder.
    About firflies I saw them in my childhood but never since then.
    Thnk you, Cherryl, forthis ode to the Creation. I loved it very much.
    Love ❤
    Michel

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    1. Thank you, Michel, for your beautiful comment. It makes me happy that you enjoyed the poem. I have heard that fireflies are becoming endangered. That would be very sad. We don’t have fireflies in South Florida where I live. I have only seen them up north in Virginia and Pennsylvania. I am sorry you no longer see them. Do you know why that is?
      Love ❤
      Cheryl

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  14. This is such beautiful and simple poetry. I love when we get to zoom into the small, hidden world going on beneath our feet and in the trees. These words have perfectly captured the feeling of the busy insect metropolis that constantly buzzes and breathes life around us.

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  15. Thank you, Simone, for reading and sharing your beautiful thoughts. The complex societies of animals such as ants and bees are fascinating to me. I wish we humans could live and work together in harmony for the good of the community as they do! 🙂

    It’s good to hear from you. I hope all is well. ❤

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