A Green Reed

I pushed past the damp rim of the planter, dragging along the rough grey stone. A fallen stem lay across the concrete. Long. Slender. It did not move. I waited three breaths, then slid one front flipper over the fibrous green skin. It bent silently beneath my belly, pinned flat against the stone. I rested my lower jaw upon the cool stem, feeling the breeze shudder through the open metal bars above.