Down the Channel

Found a heavy steel ball bearing lodged in the dirt beside a park bench. Wiped the grit off on my denim until the chrome caught the morning light. The low concrete retaining wall had a smooth, continuous groove cast along its top edge, sloping gently toward the grass. I set the ball in the channel, held it steady with a fingertip, and let go. It rolled slow at first, picking up speed with a crisp, hollow rumble against the aggregate. Kept pace alongside it on the pavement. Right before the drop-off at the wall's end, I planted my palm flat across the groove and stopped it dead. Smooth run. Did it three more times.