Well Met

Its adorable face masked like
that of a raccoon, its softly
alert eyes regarding me with
curiosity, the ferret sniffs my
extended palm, yawns, revealing
tiny teeth perfectly geared to
ripping and tearing; more than
capable of defending itself from
other carnivores; and a pink,
very devilishly-pink tongue.

Is this trust or merely the
ennui of timeless boredom?

The tall bearded man holding
the soft-furred animal and its leash
bends to deposit it on the woodland
trail, exhorting Winston to exercise
himself and not merely breathe
the freshly scrubbed air. My
similarly leashed dog, a toy breed
yet giant in comparison, snarls,
and the ferret fearlessly
responds, hissing its warning.