A Drift on Still Waters

I walked past the front gate and followed the leafy sidewalk out to the quiet neighborhood park. At the edge of the shallow, sunlit wading pool, the still water mirrored the pale sky. Resting flat on the warm aggregate concrete was a dry, hollowed eucalyptus seed pod, shaped like a tiny wooden bell. I paused... steadying my boots against the gritty border. Moving with patient care, I leaned in and pressed both of my flipper sleeves against the rounded woody rim. A gentle push guided it over the curb. It dipped into the mirror-like surface with a tiny, hushed ripple, bobbing upright like a solitary miniature vessel. I rested my sleeve against the warm concrete edge, quietly watching it drift away.