Testing the Current

I marched beyond the perimeter hedge and followed the asphalt path down to the public park. An arched footbridge of rough-hewn limestone spanned the brisk creek ahead. The masonry bore decades of weather, yet its keystone remained squarely set against the water. Stepping onto the low stone parapet, I rested the shaft of my battle axe beside my boot. A dense pinecone was wedged in a mortar seam near my hand. I worked it loose and dropped it into the swirling eddy below. It plunged, resurfaced, and cut through the underpass in five steady beats. The channel runs unobstructed. A reliable crossing.