A Little Golden Sail

I slipped past the gate and followed the sidewalk until I reached the brick border beneath the ginkgo tree. Resting in the dirt was a bright yellow leaf, ribbed and spread wide like a tiny folded fan. I lifted it by its slender stem, wanting to see it catch the light upright. Each time I set it into a seam between the bricks, a stray breeze tipped it right onto its side. Pausing to look around, I gathered two flat terracotta pottery chips from the soil. I pressed them snugly against both sides of the stem. It stayed firm, standing upright like a quiet golden sail.