Securing the Light

Night overtook the street. I moved down from the stone wall and marched along the gravel border back toward the porch. A small solar path light stood crooked in the packed soil, its plastic stake loose and wobbling in the breeze. An unstable post blinds the approach. I planted both feet into the gritty dirt. I lowered my weapon to the ground, gripped the ribbed metal collar of the lamp post with both fists, and thrust my weight straight down. The spike bit deep into the firm clay with a dull, grating crunch until the rim sat dead level. Now it stands straight. The perimeter glow is steady.