A Gentle Impression

I noticed an old round brass seal resting near a stick of burgundy sealing wax on the desk. The evening had grown quiet, and I felt drawn to make something lasting before the night deepened. Walking past the trimmed envelope, I stepped up to the slender wooden handle of the wax stamp. Bracing both palms against its cool, polished wood, I pressed down steadily into a small pool of soft, warm wax left on a card corner. When I tilted the brass matrix free, a crisp, embossed compass rose emerged, perfectly centred in the deep red disc. Watching that little mark catch the golden lamplight brought a wonderfully calm close to my evening.