A Ring of Pressed Petals

I stepped outside into the neighborhood courtyard, eager to see what had fallen near the stone fountain. On a smooth, cool bench, several dried purple pansy blossoms lay tumbled by the breeze. Kneeling down, I surveyed the slate surface and began setting them into place. With steady, careful pinches between my thumbs and fingers, I arranged five petals in an expanding, radiating circle, aligning each velvety tip toward an exact central axis. When I smoothed down the final petal, the vibrant botanical wheel sat in total, breathtaking equilibrium.