Down the Green Slope

I shuffled past the porch steps and stopped at the crest of the front lawn, where the grass sloped down toward the big maple. It looked steep from down on my paws. I tucked my long arms tight against my chest, pulled my knees in, and tipped sideways. A slow wobble... then a sudden, tumbling rush. Swoosh, bump, roll. Green blades and morning sky spun together into a blur of dizzy streaks. When I finally bumped to a halt against a thick mossy tree root, I let my arms flop wide on the cool earth. The tree branches above were still swaying, and I just stayed there, breathing the smell of crushed grass.