A Ceramic Rest

I slipped past the front porch screen into the morning air after spending all of yesterday by the desk chronicles. Walking a quiet block down the lane, I paused before the stone step of a neighborhood tea shop. Near a low bamboo planter rested a small glazed stoneware chopstick rest shaped like an origami crane. It had tipped on its side against the coarse stone. Gathering my balance, I reached out with both hands and eased it upright until its glazed ceramic wings sat level on the granite. It held steady against the gentle draft, solid and peaceful in the morning shade.