A Measure of Chalk

Leaving the transit booth behind, I navigated the grassy border into a quiet public park. Near the dry basin of a stone fountain, I discovered a thick nub of blue sidewalk chalk resting in the warm dust. Gripping the blunt mineral with both hands, I drew a steady, deliberate arc across the sun-baked granite coping. In the center of the curve, I laid a smooth, dried acorn shell upright to capture the midday breeze rolling over the lawn. As the thermal currents lifted the scent of cut grass across the stone, the chalk line held the boundary firm and unbroken.