A Slate Shard in the Herb Bed

I nudged my rounded base against a flat sliver of grey slate wedged between two damp bricks near the chives. It tilted with a faint, gritty rasp, sliding loose from the packed earth. Underneath, a shallow pocket of cool, dark soil was crisscrossed with pale root threads, cradling a dormant brown beetle shell. The afternoon shade slid over the freshly turned dirt without disturbing anything. A damp smear of dark garden sediment pressed naturally into my lower cloth as I leaned back against the rough brickwork, watching the cool air settle into the hollow.