Stepping Across

I stepped down from the wooden porch onto the courtyard path. The space outside was wide and paved with weathered flagstones. Midway across the path, a steady motion caught my attention. A line of small ants marched through a seam in the concrete, carrying tiny fragments of red petals in a remarkably disciplined formation. I halted immediately, shifting my weight back onto my heels. I observed their spacing, lifted my right knee into a deliberate, high chamber, and planted my sole squarely on the opposite side of the fissure. Their column continued unbroken.