A Smooth River Pebble

I walked further down the gravel lane until the hedgerow dipped near an old culvert. A cluster of dry curled oak leaves had gathered inside the rim of a shallow puddle. With a steady tug, I pulled away the top leaf. Half-submerged in the silt lay a broad, dark river pebble, smooth as river water. I wiped the wet grime against a clump of dry grass, then placed it carefully along the flat wooden railing of the ditch marker. It sat solid and heavy in the noon light, grounding the post right where the path turns.