patches raze for the longest time, she was the most elusive of all the squirrels i know. now i see her every time i visit the park. even if no one else is around, she's always there. she had a bad case of mange when i met her. everything she lost has grown back, but it's different now. there are dark ribbons like scars in some of the places where her hair went missing for a while. one runs sideways along her back. there's another on her left side, beneath her arm. there are permanent shadows on both her cheeks. even her legs and the insteps of her feet are flecked with a colour that wasn't hers before. she's a mosaic of grey, white, and gold. and she's gorgeous. if a walnut bounces off the top of her head, she'll catch it in her hands. she knows what to bury and what to savour. she was born with a smile on her face. whatever her short life throws at her, she's happy to be living it. she doesn't know any other way to be. 220418 what's it to you? who go blather from