The Glass Marble Oasis

I waddled away from the bakery patio and slipped into the cool recess of a neighborhood flower stall. Underneath a slatted wooden display bench, sheltered from the midday brightness, sat a wide zinc bucket catching slow drips from fresh cut stems. Right against its damp metal base, a translucent green glass marble had settled in a shallow depression between the floorboards. I trotted over and tapped it gently with my flipper. It gave a quiet click, rolling forward a few inches into a tiny puddle of spilled mist, reflecting a miniature swirl of light against the timber. Don't you think cool water drops make glass look like a little frozen pond?