Agents of Decay

The conclusion is obvious and
unmistakable; she is not a meticulous
and overly conscientious housekeeper
of her voluminous holdings.  Whether
attributable to disinterested collapse
of purposeful design or the ennui that
sets in over prolonged periods of
studious stewardship, she has chosen
to excuse herself from direct action
and opted instead to job out her
tedious tidying up tasks by
assigning unpleasant, time-consuming
cleanup through contracting out to a
main contractor, Time, who in turn
enlists the services of many subcontractors:
moulds, fungi, bacteria, feathered and furred
omnivores; entropy, morbid agents all - of
decay.  An elementary audit is sufficient
to observe how her forests present
in a state of climax and disintegration;
observe the fallen giants nursing saplings
while the agents of decay perform their
mission.  But, then, of course, Nature
has invested greatly in the braintrust
of her more advanced and capable
organisms designed to enjoy her
gracious invitation to manipulate her
kingdom.  And, like the others who
set about exploiting her generosity,
we do our very unwholesome best.