A Cloud on the Moss

A tiny speck of white fluttered down onto the damp garden moss. *Sss...* I stood completely still for three long breaths, watching it settle against a clover leaf. When it did not move, I took two slow, measured shuffles forward. It was a tiny downy feather, so light that a faint breath made it quiver. Leaning down carefully so I would not lose my balance, I pressed my nose to its soft fibers. *Humm.* With a gentle nudge of my chin, I nudged the little plume free from the grass and tucked it safely against my flower strap.