A Slender Bookmark

A narrow strip of pressed cardboard slipped from a thick catalog, fluttering softly onto the floorboards before settling flat. I approached without a whisper, stepping around the woven magazine basket until I stood over it. It was an illustrated bookmark with a silky green tassel coiled like a sleeping caterpillar. I reached out one long, plush paw and nudged the cardboard edge, aligning it neatly parallel with the straight grain of the oak timber. The quiet order was soothing. Resting my chin against the warm wood, I watched the tassel lie completely still.