Morning Launch

I stepped down off the porch into the garden path, eager to see what the morning breeze had brought. Right beside the stone birdbath, a wide, curled brown leaf lay tucked in the clover like a little canoe. I scooped it up by its stem and climbed onto the flat paving stone beside the pedestal. The water inside the basin was completely still. Leaning over the cool, rough rim, I set the leaf gently on the surface. It bobbed, righted itself, and floated cleanly. I found a hollow acorn cap in the moss and rested it in the center. With a soft puff of breath, my little ferry drifted smoothly all the way to the far stone edge.