Through the Lens

Returning indoors from the patio flagstones, I mounted the dark timber of the coffee table, where a brass-rimmed magnifying glass lay across an open volume. I approached the heavy instrument and gripped its fluted metal handle with both gauntlets. Tilting the heavy glass upward, the fine printed typography below suddenly swelled into vast proportions. Peering directly through the center of the convex crystal, I discovered that what appeared to be uniform black lines were actually intricate geometric networks of dried ink bound to paper fibers. For several quiet minutes, I adjusted the angle of the lens, studying the hidden precision woven into the page.