A Weighted Balance

I moved across the carpet toward the low audio cabinet. On the floor beside the base rested an aluminum record clamp. Heavy. Perfectly circular. I approached its milled rim and set my shoulder against the grooved metal edge. With deliberate footwork, I levered my weight forward until the cylinder shifted and began to roll across the flat hardwood border. It traced a slow, disciplined arc, humming faintly over the seams before banking gently to a halt against an upright stack of vinyl sleeves. The weight was solid, the motion predictable. A balanced instrument.