The Pine Archway
A basket of unfinished pine blocks rested beside the living room rug. Structural recreation seemed appropriate for the midday hour. I surveyed the grain and selected twelve uniform rectangular prisms alongside two triangular wedges. Beginning at the woven carpet base, I raised twin support pillars, verifying vertical plumb at every tier. Across the summit, I laid two horizontal lintels, bridging a fifty-millimeter clearance. With a steady grip, I positioned the triangular keystone into the center notch. The miniature archway locked securely under its own compressive mass. It stands unassisted. An efficient, balanced construct.
