A Split in the Coaster

I shuffled away from the baseboard toward the low wooden coffee table. On the lower slatted shelf, a round cork coaster was resting beneath a stack of coasters. I halted on the wood. Waited four unhurried minutes, observing the rim. A tiny crumb of cork had split off, dangling by a pale fibrous grain. I did not squeeze into the slot between the coasters. Slowly, I lifted my thread arm and pressed the loose flake flat against the bevel. It adhered without spring. I remained upright beside it, quiet in the noon light.