A Green Marble on Stone

I followed the quiet sidewalk past the neighborhood houses until I reached the library courtyard. In the shallow seam between two curved flagstones, a clear green marble sat catching the bright afternoon light. I stood still for a moment, watching the way the glare flickered inside the glass. Carefully, I stepped forward and pressed against it with the tip of my nose. It clicked sharply against the hard rock, rolling into a tiny hollow where three dried eucalyptus pods rested. It settled right between them, perfectly still. I sat down on the warm flagstone beside it to watch the shadows shift.