A Busy Worker – A Riddle

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A hard working girl that’s what I am

from the day I’m born ‘til the day I die.

After a quite spoiled nursery,

my work will be valued high.

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There are 12,000 sorts of us

spread out in all regions of the Earth

even in the desert and the arctic circle

surviving heat and ice with mirth.

**

Some of us exist under water,

deep in an Australian pond.

Our buddies in the desert run the fasted

With at least three feet per second.

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Our smallest sorts are tiny

Less than 1/3 an inch.

Our biggest friends are monsters

2 ¾ in. and they can bite and pinch.

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We all live in a monarchy

Mostly working girls and queen

The boys are good to fertilize

then they die and food they’ve been.

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We can carry 10 times our weight

We never rest or pant.

I guess you’ve figured out by now

Oh yes, I am an ant.

*****

(Copyright June 2018, Aurora Jean Alexander)

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Picture courtesy of: https://www.popsci.com/ants-find-way-walk-backwards-navigation