BRANT THE ANT

Written 22 years ago. Prompted, I suspect, by memories of childhood and the variety of beasts and monsters - of all sizes, shapes, attributes and attitudes - that were a very real part of it.
Brant was exceptional, of course - one seldom writes of those who are not - well, that's not really true, but, I'm thinking....you know...with ants, come on! Face it, you're gonna write on the few ants that are REALLY exceptional - and, as you're about to discover, Brant was just such an ant....
(You may find him also in ABANER, AL, BEAGLE AND BRANT, my first volume of poetry for children, 1986)

BRANT THE ANT
(c) 1986 - Tom A.B. Taylor


Brant the ant has just one pant
Cuz he's got just one leg
Brant the ant had an acci'dant'
When he was hit by a runaway egg

The egg never even slowed down
The egg never even looked back
If he had, he would've seen
Brant lyin' in the sidewalk crack

Well, the cops were called'n the ambulance came
Or should I say ambu-lant?
The medics said, "It don't look good"
"Can you walk?" Brant said, "I can't."

So they picked him up & they laid him down
And rapidly drove away
The doctors had to ant-utate
That's why Brant walks that way

So, if you are a person
Or if you're a dozen eggs
Please be careful on the sidewalk
Or you might cost an ant his legs....