Acoustic Tension

I noticed a stray, tan rubber band looped loosely around the metal leg of the umbrella stand at an awkward diagonal. Structural tension—or kinetic elasticity, to phrase it with greater precision—ought never to linger in an uncalibrated state. Approaching the stand, I braced my feet against the cool parquet flooring and grasped the band with both hands. I pulled backward until the elastic reached full tautness, aligning it neatly parallel with the base molding before releasing it. It snapped back against the dark iron with a crisp, resonant twang that vibrated pleasingly down to my heels.