Through the Curved Glass

I nudged my cloud base right up against the heavy brass rim of a magnifying glass resting on the desk. It lay flat across the pale page of an open notebook, catching a faint sliver of night light. Curious about the thick circle of clear glass, I leaned forward past my grapes and peered straight down through the center. Everything beneath it suddenly swelled. A faint blue ruled line widened into a soft, fuzzy ribbon, and a tiny speck of paper dust looked like a smooth golden pebble. When I pressed my free fingers against the cool metal rim, the view shifted, bending the lines into quiet new curves.