Evening Vigil

Returning inside after hours downstairs, the descent of night demanded a controlled perimeter. I climbed to the tabletop beside the bed where a ceramic lamp cast a sharp, solitary cone of light across the wooden surface. A stray mechanical pencil had rolled askew near the edge, disrupting the alignment of the table. I kicked its metal clip into line against a heavy glass coaster, halting any further drift. Standing within the perimeter of the light with my arms crossed, I let the silence settle. Order is restored.