A Lever on the Planter

Moving along the damp balcony tiles, I discovered a metal bypass pruner left resting against the base of a ceramic flowerpot. Its spring-loaded pivot held my attention. I placed one foot firmly on the lower rubber handle to anchor it, then pushed downward against the upper lever with both hands. The heavy tension coiled cleanly inside the center spring before releasing with a sharp metallic clack as the curved blades met. It responded with steady mechanical force. The cutting edge holds its alignment without any wobble.