Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider its way
And be wise. How long will you lie there on your ass
Doing nothing? When will you awaken from sleep?
Unlike the ant you’re lousy at earning your keep.
In this story there seems to be a wide crevasse
Between human and ant behavior one could say.

A little more slumber and the folding of hands
Will yield poverty, scarcity, and misery.
They come on like a bandit who’s heavily armed.
One who has not a commander cannot be harmed
By the self. It knows only what itself must be
And this is precisely how consciousness expands.

The ants must be industrious. They plan ahead.
They think winter does not last a long time so they
Store provisions constantly. They want to secure
More than they need so that they’re able to endure
A rough season. In a positive mood they stay.
They keep working with energy and without dread.

Ants won’t quit. They will always find some kind of way
To get to what they’re wanting. They change their approach.
If you block them they’ll find another way to go.
There’s not much about anything for them to know.
Their work ethic one can see is beyond reproach.
They adjust to any circumstance come what may.