The War

a poem by Jan Oskar Hansen

The man stood under a carob tree
looking through scented green leaves towards the road.
After an hour or so
a black dog with a white chest came running
it suddenly stopped,
looked around
and had a good scratch in the middle of the road.
An hour later the dog came back
stopped at the same spot, looked around
and had another good scratch.
Puzzled the man, under the carob tree
left his secure place
walked to the middle of the road
looked down
and saw an army of ants coming up of a small hole
and that was about all he saw,
didn’t hear the truck
which was coming up behind him
and its driver didn’t see the man
before it was too late
cause he was opening the wrapper
of a chocolate bar.
The black dog with a white chest,
sat by the roadside
having a good scratch
looking at hysterical people running in circles,
but no one saw the army of ants going back into the hole
carrying bits of leaves and straw.