The Half-Sunflower Pause

The role spinner waited where butterfly wings passed,
Its water marks showing a slow lane and a fast.
Through its little window, acorn table seemed near;
Alice traced slowly while Callen stepped clear.

Quick step, slow trace—pause for the sky.
A cloudlet crossed; the bright mark slipped by.
Callen stopped fully. Alice kept her pace.
The pause held their pattern and protected its place.

They traded their speeds for the next paired round:
Alice moved quickly on the clear, firm ground.
Callen traced slowly where the wet marks ran.
Another cloud changed the spinner’s first plan.

Slow trace, quick step—pause for the rain.
Five drops darkened one sunflower lane.
The weather was not late and did not get in the way;
It supplied the next mark they could use that day.

Before they headed toward acorn table once more,
The spinner showed damp ground beside sunflower fence.
They chose the wider turn and followed its edge,
With every weather pause counted inside the pair.

At sunflower fence, they placed seeds and leaves:
Callen set the gold centers; Alice curved the greens.
One side formed a sunflower; one side stayed plain.
A cloud shadow crossed it, then brightened again.

They did not fill the open half just to call the picture done.
The blank side kept room for tomorrow’s sun.
One pause remained in the picture they made—
Half a sunflower beside one open space.