Pax

by Sara Pennypacker

His arms were crossed over a sagging belly, and his hair was a thinning gray, but something about the way he was peering down his nose reminded Peter of a hawk he’d once seen searching for prey from the top of a cedar.

In the dugout, the familiar mingled scents of leather, sweat, and stale bubble gum wrapped around him like a hug.

distrust is no match for kindness administered consistently and unmeasured, especially in creatures new to the world.

There is a disease that strikes foxes sometimes. It causes them to abandon their ways, to attack strangers. War is a human sickness like this.

Because I am exactly where I should be, doing exactly what I should be doing. That is peace. Eat.”

She said it meant that no matter how bad things got, we could always make ourselves new again.”

We all own a beast called anger. It can serve us: many good things come of anger at bad things; many unjust things are made just. But first we all have to figure out how to civilize it.”