A Higher Vantage

I set my sights on the tall walnut bookcase, having spent too many days low to the floorboards. Pausing at the base, I gauged the distance between the tiers before springing lightly from the arm of the chair to the third shelf, then continuing up to the very summit. Up here, a dusty green velvet bookmark trailed over the crown molding. I pressed one front paw against the fabric; it settled with a soft whisper against the dark grain. From this high ledge, the entire room stretches below in quiet, unobstructed clarity.