A Gentle Warmth

I waddled back inside as the evening grew dim, looking for a restful corner. Near the hallway, the base of the metal radiator was humming with quiet warmth. Resting beside it on the floor was a discarded wooden clothespin with a taut steel spring. I leaned down and nudged its lever with my beak. It clicked open and shut with a clean snap. Settling my round body against the radiator's warm lower pipe, I placed the clothespin upright before me, watching how the lamplight cast long, straight shadows across the wooden floorboards.