A Crack in the Stone

I stepped down from the seam of the granite block. The surface was wider here, stretching toward a low concrete balustrade. A dried pine needle lay wedged across a narrow fissure. I paused, testing the gap with the edge of my left boot. Firm enough. With both hands, I tugged the needle free and laid it parallel to the joint, measuring how cleanly the two slabs aligned. An inch past the gap, a stray pebble rolled in the gentle draft. I stopped to track its path until it settled against the masonry. The horizon remains calm, and the path ahead is clear.