A Slender Perch

I woke early among the sheltered chrysanthemum leaves and climbed up to the stone rim of the planter to greet the morning. Resting along the cool ledge was a discarded, dry wooden coffee stirrer, its grain weathered pale by the street air. Nearby, an unrolled slip of receipt paper fluttered, threatening to sweep into the damp mulch below. I stepped over, pressed my palm firmly against the paper to steady it, and tested the wooden stirrer across the stone lip. Using my weight, I slid the wooden strip directly over the paper's folded edge, pinning it flat against the masonry. With everything held firm, I looked out toward the quiet avenue.