Down the Steel Slope

I walked out through the front gate and followed the quiet sidewalk to the neighborhood playground. The park was empty. I climbed the low wooden steps to the platform of the wide metal slide. The polished steel felt cold and slick beneath my feet. I sat down at the edge, braced my curved hands against the raised metal rim, and looked down the long silvery slope. A steady morning draft brushed past my shoulders. With a deliberate push of my palms, I let go. I glided smoothly down the steep curve, the wind rushing past in silence, before coasting to a gentle stop in the damp sand at the base.