A Patch of Shade

I dragged a folded linen napkin across the warm balcony floor to build a bit of relief from the overhead sun. The tiered wire plant stand looked like an honest frame for an awning. Hauling myself up the metal rungs, I hitched one corner of the cloth over the top bar and pinched it down with a split wooden clothespin. Leaning back with my full weight, I stretched the hem taut across to the second upright and snapped another pin into place. The cloth snapped tight against the draft, throwing a crisp, cool shadow right over the cedar planks.