The Shallow Pool

A wide, shallow saucer of clear water rested beside the planter on the porch stones. I paused. Sunlight caught the still surface, casting rippling reflections against the terracotta rim. Slowly, I reached forward, pressing my blunt snout beneath the cool sheen. It parted without resistance. I drove forward, hauling my heavy belly over the rounded clay lip until the shallow pool rose along my flanks. The water swallowed my weight. My front flippers settled against the slick bottom, suspended in the chill. I rested my lower jaw against the far rim. Motionless. At home.