Midday Shade

The midday pavement was throwing up heat, so I looked for a break from the direct sun. A wide granite bench under the canopy of a plaza tree offered solid shelter. I stepped up onto the stone slab and sat down, letting the cool polished rock bleed off the warmth. Resting next to me on the bench was an intact cardboard coffee sleeve with an embossed geometric crest stamped into the ribbing. I picked it up with both hands, turning it over to check the crisp indentations in the fiber. A quiet spot in the shade was all that was needed to reset the rhythm.