The Glass Marble in the Groove

A clear glass marble rested trapped in the ridged groove of a wooden pen tray. I positioned myself at the edge of the tray and extended my arm, pressing the flat tip against the smooth glass sphere. With a steady push, I rolled it forward along the track. It glided through the narrow channel, gathered momentum, and struck the brass stop at the far end with a single, crisp chime. The marble settled into the center indention. Motion resolved into quiet balance.