The concrete out in our backyard is white and pock-marked. Surveying the ground while standing yields nothing, other than spotting crushed twigs here and there, or small scattered dried-out berries, or dead bees.
If you lie down, however, such as on a lounge-chair, you find that there are perhaps thousands of tiny orange insects feverishly scurrying from here to who knows where. I did this accidentally one sun-baked afternoon while sunbathing. As I lied face down I gazed passively at the ground, studying the pock-marks, and I found them. It felt strange discovering this finer layer of life on our concrete floor, because I generally take care to avoid disturbing any kind of creature's life...even insects. Now here was a population of orange insects that covered the floor of the entire backyard. All those times coming out of the pool, creating whole lakes instantly, flooding tons of creatures, and then evaporating within minutes. I began to become conscious of where I was stepping. And then the longer I remained standing (and thus unable to visually acknowledge these creatures), the less I thought about the creatures, until I forgot they were there again, up to the next time I was to lay down and rediscover.
I felt what it was to be a cloud. To gaze over an entire population, cast a shadow, to rain down on them powerful floods of water from seemingly nowhere.
They have an incredible land-speed, considering the proportion of their bodies to the landscape. And what a strange landscape. Huge craters everywhere, in all directions, going on for what seems like eternity. A white, bleached, eternally-flat surface. They have learned to navigate between the craters with their characteristic speed. Here and there is a strange plastic ravine, where seams in the concrete exist. They congregate at these ravines, where there is darkness and moistness and probably plant growth and other forms of life. Here is a strange world of craters and inexplicable shadows looming over the landscape unexpectedly, sometimes dropping a great deluge of water forming lakes instantly that evaporate instantly.
Considering the creature's speed, and their lifespan, perhaps there is a time dilation. Perhaps the looming shadows come slowly after all, to be seen in the distance, like our clouds. Maybe the creatures take cover when a great foot comes down, or a birthing lake. Maybe it all happens slowly, as a rising tide. Ah but I'm expecting too much of these little creatures.
I ignore them, while walking in the backyard. I have to. If I was to avoid them, I would have to avoid everything. Who knows what I destroy just by breathing. There are multitudes of creatures yet smaller, microscopic creatures, continuing on into what seems like infinity, all carrying out their lives in what seems to us alien landscapes. It does blur the line between them and, say ants, which I avoid to disturb, or even plants for that matter, which I must walk on constantly during the day. It makes me reconsider my attitudes, to be sure.
But maybe out of inertia I'll continue to do as I do, to respect that which I visually acknowledge.
I'd like to know what these creatures are. It would pay to know an entomologist. I don't though. There's always the internet. Too lazy. It is late now. Sleep.
