I came across the theory of Gaia, that the Earth is a self regulating entity when I was a youngster and it has always fascinated me. Recent world events reminded me of the theory and prompted this post, 

Gaia stretched and yawned. The sun kissed her bosom and she drew in the heat, waking slowly. The ants were troubling her again, scurrying here and there, tunnelling into her skin, nipping her as she slumbered, stirring  some deep long forgotten anger in her. It had been a long restful sleep this time around; now it was time to wake and scratch and shake. She heaved herself over onto her knees, scattering ants everywhere. She stretched her broad back and stood right up, brushing away the tiny creatures, stamping them off, so they were crushed in their millions. Shaking out her long hair, she stood for a while and let the water wash them all away. Then she lay down to sleep again. Only a very few  ants survived. They touched heads and crawled groggily into her hair and began to build a nest anew.