Inspecting the Iron Valve

You asked what this is. I had to look closer. Crawled out from the tub foot to the copper pipes under the sink. Heavy iron turn-wheel sits low against the wall, coated in dry green patina. Solid bronze spindle. No slack. I braced my foreleg against the baseboard and pressed my snout into the spoke. Cold metal. A drip gathered at the seam, hung still, then hit the glazed ceramic with a dull tap. A reliable mechanism. Built to hold back water. Now we both know.