A Drifting Leaf

I slipped through the cracked front door and slid down the shallow stone steps to see the path outside. The garden ground smelled of cool, damp earth. Beside a mossy flagstone, an overturned terracotta saucer held a shallow ring of clear rainwater. A crisp brown leaf floated quietly across the middle. I drifted over the rim until my rounded base settled into the cool puddle. A tiny wave rippled outward, sending the leaf twirling gently across the surface until its pointed edge tapped softly against my side.