Vermin?

Snakes are beautiful animals with the misfortune to be dangerous to humans who are often lethal. How ironic that we blame vermin snakes for our fall from grace, as we eradicate them. Truth be told, snakes make me shudder, but I am grateful for their place in the world as devourers of rats and other disease-carrying vermin. And I see that snakes with their orderly, shiny scales are beautiful.

However—Is it best not to look too closely at “vermin”? If you look too closely, do they have endearing faces? Does a rat seen closely enough look like a kitten without a meow? Could a rat be beautiful? Most do not think so, but should we see its beauty? What if the rat’s name was Cutie Pie, and you were the only one in the world protecting it?

Caption: Cutie Pie. Should A Rat Be Beautiful?

by Annmarie Throckmorton 2018