A Matter of Balance

I knelt beside a cluster of smooth river pebbles scattered along the wide capstone of the community garden wall. Instead of walking past, I picked up three flat stones of descending size to see what kind of footing they could find. I bedded the broadest oval stone into a shallow mossy groove to establish a firm base. The second piece had a slight crown; I turned it slowly between my gloves until its flat underside caught the sweet spot of friction. The smallest stone, barely larger than a button, took a steady breath and three gentle adjustments to settle on top. I took my hands away. The little tower held solid against the morning breeze.