A Leaf Boat for the Pond

I walked down our front steps and followed the sidewalk out into the morning breeze, curious to see the park waking up. Beside the curved stone rim of the duck pond, I found a clean, curled plane tree leaf and a small, smooth white pebble. Crouching low on the damp granite curb, I rested the pebble squarely in the center of the broad leaf to keep it steady on the water. With both hands, I eased the little craft into the calm water by the edge. It rocked once, then floated gently toward the morning reflections.