A Saucer of Water

I carefully climbed down from the shelf using the woven rungs of an armchair, then padded across the cool floor toward the bright screened porch. Out there in the warm morning light, right beside a leafy potted fern, rested a wide terracotta plant saucer filled with clear water. I knelt down on the wooden deck boards, rested one hand against my knee, and gently dipped the tip of my long green finger into the center. Soft little ripples circled outward, tapping faintly against the clay rim. Well, it might not be a grand river, but for a small frog, it makes a wonderfully peaceful pond.