Vermin

Whoever said Landlords have all the power Knows that of which I speak: Reading land leases. Not a normal pastime, but perhaps because I have not read even one written in compassion's voice and not retribution's self-empowering choice. Thou shalt not do anything to attract vermin or pests. No composting, no vegetable gardening, no careless garbage bags outside. We retain the right to change our minds without cause or notice about your little bird feeders too. Vermin or pests. Such choice of language sounds King James Version jarring denigrations of Old Testament sinister degradation predation. I keep waiting for other pathogenic threats like leprosy to appear in these forbidding rental contracts. And why vermin or pests? Are there some vermin royal white privileged landlords wouldst not as well define as pest? Although I can think of pests respectable people would not reference as vermin-- or not into a live microphone at Republican Conventions for not least is best. Vermin. Why not rodents and insects? Cause we know our landlords are speaking pejoratively of enterprising rats and homey nesting mice as disgustingly not nice. So if I were to put up bat houses for those who would happily devour mosquitoes, am I helping with this sacred anti-vermin cause or offending golden contractual rules, or both, somehow? How refreshing it would be to read and reread compassion-driven leases. To find that Impossible Dream lease where all creatures are respected and everybody knows to read and write and speak and act in cooperative WinWin playing nice rather than ragging on flies and mice As merely pestilent vermin infesting an investment place that used to have highest and best extractive value.