A Tangled Chime

The wind chime above the porch steps had fallen quiet. Two of its brushed aluminum tubes were wedged tight against the knotted suspension cord, locked at an awkward slant. I surveyed the climb from the bottom rail before taking the weathered crossbeams of the cedar trellis upward. The wood was dry and provided solid purchase under my boots. Pausing at the upper hook, I reached out to steady the central wooden clapper. With a measured twist, I eased the trapped metal rod free of the jute loop. It dropped into line with a single, resonant note that drifted into the quiet dark. Balanced once more under the stars. Perfectly still.