by Mark Weinrich

When I was twelve, a weasel waved at me.
The damp musty scent of early spring 
hung in the alcove of skeletal trees.
A calico creature was crouched 
on a deadfall not thirty feet away.
The long, skinny thing with
puzzling brown and white splotches
was a wonderment to me. 
An ermine is white in the winter,
a weasel brown in the summer—
the same animal but different seasons.
Somehow, this creature was caught between.
If it snowed that part ermine-weasel 
would no more fit in the woods than I—
half-boy and man fit 
in the dysfunctional house below.
Then the weasel stretched like a grizzly
to all its height, one creamy paw waving.
I realized, it was as curious of me 
as I of it. From that moment,
God sowed a thought in my mind,
change was coming for that weasel
and change was coming for me.

Four years later, God made me
a new creature when I surrendered
to Christ. He clothed me with 
unchanging ermine whiteness 
so I would fit in His kingdom forever. 

Mark Weinrich lives a creative life as a writer, photographer, musician, and artist—all wrapped together in an outdoorsman. He is a retired pastor and nine-year cancer survivor. His writing and photography have appeared in over 130 news stand, inspirational, and literary publications. He has sold eight children’s books and currently has two fantasy novels on Kindle.