A Border of Light

I left the sofa arm and crossed the wide expanse of floor toward the morning light. A stack of thick hardcover books leaned beside the window frame, forming three irregular steps. I tested the lowest spine with one paw. Solid. I climbed upward, joint by joint, until my paws touched the smooth, painted wood of the wide sill. The glass pane felt cool against my front paws, but a bright square of morning sun warmed the painted surface beneath me. Far below in the street, an early cyclist drifted past. I stood firm at the perimeter, tracking every shift in the lane.