Sublime

He examined her, her shrunken kidneys, her bad breath, which indicates severe digestive troubles, and asked if Neil had stopped being a pet. “Has she withdrawn?” I said yes. She quit cleaning herself six months ago, and from then it’s gone from bad to worse.

The word I use is hubris. Our word for arrogance that scrapes the stars, for violence and towering rage as ugly as the gods.

Russian olive

No mates exist for countless miles around, and a chestnut, though both male and female, will not serve itself.

Carrot