A Crisp Hinge

Out from the quiet kitchen! Needed dirt, open sky, and a wide lookout. I scampered across the back lawn and scrambled straight up the slatted timber side of the cedar compost bin. High, commanding perch! Right on the weathered lid rested a thick, dried orange marigold bloom, stiff from the midday air. Head tilt. Sharp pause! I crept forward on rigid talons, inspecting the papery ruffled layers. Reach forward—clamp! I braced my left foot on the grey cedar grain and levered my hooked claw under the fibrous green base. Snap! The brittle sepals tore wide open, scattering a neat fan of long, slender black seeds across the sunlit wood. Crisp split!