A Gentle Tether

My fingers tighten around the cold links of my pendulum. You spoke of taking it, yet its steady weight remains firmly under my command. Finding an upright wooden pen holder on the desk, I slowly looped the loose end of the chain around its polished rim. Left to right, back and forth, the silver coin swings in measured, quiet arcs across the dark wood. Each faint metallic click settles the morning air into a rhythm. Take it if you wish, but first, watch how smoothly it drifts.