A Slanted Beam

A thick ceramic coaster had tipped askew off the edge of a stack of art books, catching the morning brightness in an awkward glare. I paced across the low footstool with steady strides to reach the sunlit sill. Lowering my snout, I eased the cool glazed stoneware millimeter by millimeter until it slid flat into the center of the leather cover. With balance restored, a clean rhomboid of amber light fell across the painted timber. I rested my paws right inside the pool of warmth, watching dust drift peacefully above the quiet street below.