A Route to the Glass

The mantle offered perimeter control, but the morning light revealed an unmonitored border. I calculated the traverse from the hearth to the adjacent window alcove. A side table bridged the gap. Stepping across the polished surface, I tested each seam before shifting my weight onto the painted wood of the sill. Through the clear pane, the outside world expanded into view: paving stones, distant porch railings, and swaying pine needles. A solitary glass marble sat trapped in the sash track. I braced my stance, nudge-rolling the sphere out of the groove with one foot to secure my foothold. The frontier beyond is vast.