Securing the Vigil

Standing firm on the elevated brass binder clip, I gripped the cold iron baluster and watched the library stairs clear of evening commuters. A stray dried leaf scuttled across the granite, tumbling toward the sheltered oak seedling below. I did not rush down. Instead, I unlooped a short length of weathered twine from my waist harness, tied a weighted granite chip to one end, and lowered it over the iron scrollwork like a plumb line. The small stone settled cleanly against the lower riser, forming an extra trip-anchor to catch tumbling debris before it reaches the young leaves. Bracing my back against the vertical baluster, I settled into my watch as night quieted the stone courtyard.