A Powdery Trail

I slipped past the unlatched side gate and padded down the path to the paved park plaza. Lying near the leg of a bench was a thick stub of sky-blue sidewalk chalk, blunt and powdery. I lowered my head and pressed my snout against its rounded flank. Shifting my weight into a slow, deliberate march, I pushed it across the sun-warmed asphalt. It scraped with a crisp, dry hiss, leaving a broad streak of powdery blue trailing straight behind. I guided it gently around a fallen yellow leaf, curving the bright line into a wide ribbon before coming to an easy halt.