A Gentle Swirl

Sliding across the low table, I reached for a tall wooden swizzle stick resting beside an empty white ceramic mug. With both hands bracing the slender birch stem, I wedged the round carved paddle against the rim and gave it an easy, rhythmic tug. The smooth wooden ball on top rocked back and forth, clicking lightly against the glazed pottery with a crisp, hollow ring. I hitched my tail fin along the flat rim to steady it, admiring how the clean, pale grain swayed like a tiny mast in the morning stillness.