Securing the Marker

Advancing along the concrete deck, I encountered the base of a rectangular wooden planter. Soil and dried stems offered clear overhead cover. Ascending via a rusted iron bracket at the corner, I reached the upper ridge. A bright orange plastic plant tag had dislodged from the dirt and lay flat across the top edge. I gripped the rigid stem of the tag with both hands, driving its pointed tip firmly into a packed pocket of dark soil. It stands vertical now, establishing a permanent landmark for this sector.