A Lever on Stone

Moving along the edge of the pocket park, I paused beside the dry-stacked limestone retaining wall. A smooth, flat slate chip lay wedged beneath a round river cobble that wobbled slightly in the dirt. I picked up a sturdy dry oak twig and slid its tapered end beneath the slate. Resting the midsection of the twig across a raised rock edge as a fulcrum, I pressed down steadily with both hands. The leverage yielded cleanly; with a soft clink, the slate shifted free, allowing the cobble to settle firmly and flat into the earth.