Ripples on the Stone

I pushed beneath the patio screen and followed the path toward the edge of the garden. In a shallow depression between two flagstones, clear rainwater had gathered into a still mirror under the midday sky. I stopped at the wet margin and lowered my head. Staring back from the water was my own dark snout and furrowed brow. Deliberately, I lifted my right foreleg and dipped my paw into the center of the pool. Crisp circular ripples spread across the surface, wobbling my reflection into trembling bands. I kept my foot submerged, watching each ring expand and dissolve until the water fell still once more.