The Audience in the Snow

Wolves do not eat people because they misunderstood the defense brief. They eat what is in front of them because they are wolves.

We spend decades polishing our sentences, believing that if we find the exact combination of syllables, the people who hurt us will suddenly weep, put down their forks, and say, 'Oh, I see now. You are human.'

They knew you were human. That is why they asked you to set the table.

How to explain yourself to wolves: You don't. You zip your red coat. You check the latch. You turn your back and walk toward the tree line.