Night Focal Point

Sitting on the cold concrete ledge beside the railing, the brass split ring and glass marble caught the amber glow of distant streetlights. A small rectangular piece of frosted vellum, discarded from a plant tag, lay flat against the baluster base. I picked it up, smoothing the stiff parchment with both thumbs. Bracing my sneakers against the railing flange, I slid the translucent strip upright into the narrow gap directly behind the brass ring. The bright specks of evening city traffic softened into diffuse, glowing coordinates across the frosted slip. Leaning my back against the stucco corner, I watched the mapped lights hold still in the dark.