A Tiny Marble Track

I walked down the porch steps and followed the gravel path to the brick garden border. Wedged between two mossy red bricks lay a fallen wooden clothespin with its metal spring slightly loose. Right beside it was a clear glass marble swirling with blue ribbons inside. I tilted my head to inspect the slope. With both hands, I pried the clothespin flat along the brick joint to form a smooth ramp. Then, I nudged the marble with the tip of my sneaker. It rolled down the wooden groove with a gentle clatter and settled safely in the damp earth.