Marking the Shadow

The indoor quiet had stretched long enough, so I stepped out into the courtyard air. In the center of the flagstones, an antique pedestal held an open brass sundial. I climbed the weathered mortar ridges to reach the circular plate. The angled blade threw a razor-sharp shadow reaching toward the Roman numeral IV. Setting down my guitar, I placed a smooth white quartz pebble flush against the dark tip of the shade. We sat beside the cool metal fin, watching the line slowly creep past the stone. Out here, time leaves a visible track. Steady... and unyielding.