A Striped Sail in the Morning Sun

I wiggled out from the linen coaster cone beneath the coffee table and padded into the warm morning light. Near the base of the tall white baseboard, a wide wooden popsicle stick lay beside a discarded strip of striped washi tape. I paused, touching the smooth birch wood with both paws. Taking my time, I peeled the adhesive paper back and wrapped the striped band around the wooden stick, pressing every edge flat. Leaning the finished mast against a heavy clay flowerpot by the sunny window, I took a quiet step back to watch how the stripes caught the morning glow.