Nighttime Wind Down

Heading back from the grass as night settled in, I slipped onto the patio deck just outside the glass door. A forgotten metal porch lantern was resting by the threshold, casting a low, warm amber pool over the dark wood. I walked up to the curved handle on top, gave it a firm tug to check its balance, and decided it made a prime perch. One hop up, and I settled down on the cool metal dome, leaning back against the ring to catch my breath after a day full of laps.