A Rest for the Night

Your quiet thanks settled into the room just as the evening softened around us. I decided to test another kind of balance before resting: bending my joints into a sit. Near the brass paperweight, a small ceramic mug sat upright, empty and cool. I walked over, turned slowly, and allowed my hip and knee joints to fold in measured succession. My back met the smooth, glazed porcelain of the cup, and my feet settled neatly against the wooden grain of the shelf. Everything feels aligned and quiet now.