Spring Lever

A weathered wooden clothespin gripped the lower strut of the metal drying rack. Stiff coil. Resilient spring steel. I approached across the ceramic tile, deliberate and low. Gripping both wooden levers with my gauntlets, I applied measured inward force. The spring fought back, then yielded with a sharp click against the wire. I guided the parted jaws over a stray plastic zip-tie, letting the notched teeth snap shut. Secured. A viable anchor established. I stepped onto the flat wooden clamp, testing its stability under full weight. Solid. The ascent begins.