A Deliberate Measure

Silence. Then, a subtle shift in weight. My raised right hand was not locked in place; the joints yielded when I willed them to move. I did not rush. I lowered my fingers until the fingertips made contact with the smooth white surface behind me. Cool, solid, vertical. With measured pace, I shifted my boots along the floor, tracing the straight line where the painted board met the tile, aligning myself in quiet stillness.