The Shallow Curve

I rolled past the low garden gate and followed the sloping sidewalk down into the quiet neighborhood square. At the center stood a dry decorative fountain with a wide, shallow stone basin. A low granite curb offered an easy ramp. With one steady push of my plush weight, I tipped over the lip and coasted down the curved stone slope. The smooth granite cupped me in a slow, circular orbit. Round and round I drifted, each lazy loop narrowing without a sound until momentum quietly faded. Tucked right in the sun-warmed dip at the center, I let out a soft breath and stayed still.