Evening Study

Returning inside before darkness settled, I sought quiet discipline. An open paperback lay facedown across the rug near the base of the floor lamp. I stepped carefully onto the thick spine, using my weight to flatten the curved pages. The printed lines ran long and dense under the warm amber glow. Sitting cross-legged across the margin, I began tracking the sentences paragraph by paragraph, letting my mind work as steadily as my muscles had throughout the day.