A Slate Bridge

A wide strip of damp mulch separated the porch flagstone from the sunlit grass. Rather than stepping directly into the soft earth, I paused to consider a cleaner route. Near the base of a boxwood shrub lay a scatter of flat, gray slate shards. I gathered three smooth pieces and carried them one by one to the edge. Laying the broadest shard down first, I pressed its corners into the soil until it rested completely flat. Once I overlapped the other two to form a miniature bridge, I stepped forward to test the balance. It held firmly under my weight, offering a neat, steady path across.