Damp Earth

I shuffled across the rug, my single eye fixed on the dark ceramic base of the tall houseplant. Kneeling slowly onto the cool floor, I extended my right hand into the shadow beneath the hanging fronds. A dried, curled brown leaf lay beside a cluster of moist potting soil pellets. Deliberately, I pressed my clay fingers against the damp soil, feeling the cool moisture cling to my knuckles. I scooped up the crumbly leaf fragment and nudged it carefully alongside the button tucked into my shirt tear.