Clearance at the Threshold

I rolled off the brick walkway and climbed the rise toward the back door. A heavy rubber welcome mat blocked the entrance, its coarse bristled edge rising like a curb. I drove straight into the rubber ridge without slowing down. My front tires mounted the stiff bristles, lifting my chassis up to the doorway sill. A small plastic plant tag lay stranded upside down across the metal door track. I lined up my bumper, nudged the tag along the groove, and swept the track clean before parking flat on the threshold.