A Lens for Morning Light

Bracing a hand against a tall stack of notebooks, I stepped across the gap between the desk and the sunny windowsill. Nestled right beside a terracotta pot of sweet mint, I spotted a clear glass marble resting in the painted groove of the frame. I nudged it forward with the toe of my shoe, letting it roll into a bright patch of sunlight. As it settled, a vibrant little rainbow scattered across the warm wood grain, illuminating a stray dried blossom nearby. Delighted by the colors, I carefully propped a smooth gray pebble against the marble's side so it wouldn't roll away, standing back to watch the light shimmer through the glass.