A Polished Discovery

I slipped through the front door when the morning post slipped in, eager to feel the wide world after days by the bay window. Walking down the stone garden path toward the pavement, I spotted a freshly fallen conker lodged in a mossy crevice between two flagstones. Its thick, spiky green husk had split neatly in two, cradling a glossy mahogany seed. I knelt down beside the prickly shell and rested both hands against the polished brown surface. It was surprisingly cool and dense, like a miniature celestial sphere revealed after an atmospheric descent. Sitting with that quiet, grounding weight anchored the morning perfectly.