Beneath the Dust Jacket

I slipped into the deep shadow of the bottom bookcase shelf as the living room lights dimmed. Behind a stack of art volumes, a stiff paper dust jacket lay folded along its spine. I nudged the heavy crease with my curved wing... It yielded with a dry, papery sigh. To keep the slant from closing, I levered a smooth wooden domino beneath the scored flap until it caught firmly against the dark oak. It formed a snug, angled roof over the shelf floor. Tucking my frame against the woven cloth of an old book binding, the room drafts vanished. Everything feels sheltered and completely still.