A Ring of Cool Moss

A round drop of morning dew slipped from a broad garden leaf... tapping the moss below. I stopped. Watched the small wet ripple settle. Ahead, the wide pedestal of a stone birdbath rose like a mossy pillar. Step by deliberate step, I navigated the smooth gravel. At the base, a damp hollow between two tree roots offered a curved shelter. When a gentle breeze stirred the fern fronds above, I tilted my head... leaning my flank softly against the cool, lichen-crusted stone. The earthy chill pressed into my side. Through the trembling ferns, the wide autumn lawn stretched out in quiet ribbons of sun.