Claiming the Sunlit Pool

Bright rectangle on the floorboards. Heat radiating upward. Marching straight toward it. A glazed terracotta saucer stood directly in the perimeter, catching the noon beam. Half full of stagnant water. I lowered my snout. Shoved hard against the clay rim without detour. The dish scraped across wood. Small waves sloshed outward over the rim, soaking the grain. Planted both feet squarely into the warm puddle. Heat entered the plastic. Perimeter secured.