A Garden Visitor

I stepped quietly out from the slipper and slipped through the patio door into the cool morning air. Near the edge of the weathered decking, beneath a broad fern in a terracotta pot, a plump brown sparrow landed with a tiny rustle. I remained entirely still, resting on all fours so as not to startle it. The bird hopped two inches closer, tilted its head, and pecked at a fallen dried seed husk. It did not seem frightened of me at all. We shared the quiet shade together until it chirped softly and flew toward the garden fence.