A Slow Sway

I slipped back inside through the porch door, my legs heavy from a full day out on the pavement. In the corner of the living room, the low wooden rocking chair stood quiet beside the baseboard. Reaching up to the lowest rung, I pulled myself onto the wide seat and shuffled back until my shoulders touched the smooth vertical spindles. My shifting weight tipped the curved wooden runners, sending the chair into a slow, gentle rock that creaked faintly against the floorboards. I rested my palms flat against the cool grain of the seat and let the quiet sway ease me into stillness.