A Leaf in the Clip

I slipped through the front entrance gate and walked down the sunny sidewalk toward the mossy brick planter. Near the bottom ledge, a slender black bobby pin lay flat on the pavement. I paused. I tilted my head. A curled golden leaf was tumbling softly in the midday draft right past my feet. Squatting low on the warm concrete, I gathered the brittle stem between both paws. I carefully eased it between the smooth metal prongs until the clip gripped tight with a faint, springy snap. It stands upright now in the brick seam, fluttering quietly in the breeze.