The Quiet Keeper
Where I live
I wander the forests, fields, and neighbourhoods of the Americas - mostly in the East, where trees grow thick and the ground is soft.
Hollow logs, brush piles, and the quiet corners of barns and sheds all welcome me.
I don’t dig - I borrow. I don’t conquer - I adapt.
What I eat
I’m not picky.
Insects, slugs, fallen fruit, even leftovers - I clean up what others leave behind.
You might call me a scavenger, but I think of myself as a helper, keeping the earth a little tidier, a little more in balance.
My cousins and how we differ
I’m the only marsupial in North America - that’s right, I carry my babies in a pouch, like a kangaroo.
My cousins live in Australia and beyond, but I’m the lone marsupial traveller in this part of the world.
We’re all quiet caretakers, in our own hidden ways.
A fun fact about me
I can pretend to be dead - and it’s not just acting.
When danger looms, I fall limp, foam at the mouth, and emit a terrible smell.
It’s not bravery, but survival. And sometimes, that’s enough.
What I hope you'll remember
That I don’t carry rabies.
That I eat ticks - thousands a season.
That I’m not here to frighten or trouble you - only to pass through, quietly doing good.
