Chalk Trail

I nosed a stubby stick of pale purple sidewalk chalk resting in a shallow hollow between two smooth courtyard flagstones. Leaning my round body into its blunt end, I gave it a steady shove. The chalk ground forward with a crisp, dry rasp, rolling across the stone and leaving behind a powdery lilac trail! When the tip caught on a raised mortar seam, it stopped abruptly, bouncing me backward onto my side with a startled wobble. After rocking softly until my balance settled, I trundled around to the side and gave it another playful bump, watching the chalk skid across the gray pavement to curve the dusty line into an arc.