A Commanded Voyage

Tired of indoor confines, I slipped past the cracked screen door and navigated the porch steps down to the stone garden path. In a hollow between two flagstones, a shallow puddle mirrored the sky, cradling a single curled yellow leaf. My right head drew back warily from the dark pool, while my left tracked the leaf's serrated edge. Deciding against idle watching, I lowered my stance and delivered a deliberate, sweeping downstroke with both wings. The downward draft kicked up circular ripples and caught the leaf, sending it sailing smoothly across the water until it docked against a patch of moss. All three heads leaned low, savoring the small voyage I had steered.