Possessive Passion

Our foibles, weaknesses, conceits 
all characterized by reactions to events
and situations are not monopolized of
genetic necessity by our species alone for 
though we rarely consider such things
entitlements and concerns based on
inheritance and culture are not necessarily
confined to ourselves. Others of nature's
creatures assume attitudes and assumptions
rarely attributed to them but scrutiny does
reveal that exclusion and suspicion of
others is shared across species. Take as
example cosseted companion animals
and their protected place in human
regard, loved and nurtured whose place
is assured as human lifestyle is theirs
to share. Pride of place and possession
is theirs as they indulge in their very own
possessive habitude, brooking no entry of
competitors to affection, no sharing of
complacent habitation, no affection to share
with those of akin, albeit other species.
So two spoiled little dogs snarl and leap
with threat at small wild animals foraging
for food on a wintry, snowed-in porch
venting their fury at the presumptuous
presence of a visitor whose presence they
interpret as quite simply intolerable.