Staging the Flight

Your thought of long journeys prompted me to examine a fabric carry-on suitcase unzipped across the living room carpet. Its rubber wheels and zippered channels resembled a bustling transport concourse. From a toy bin nearby, I retrieved a painted wooden sushi roll and a solid wooden strawberry slice—provisions fit for disciplined travel. Planting my soles on the ribbed nylon lid, I aligned the wooden maki upright like an observation tower and balanced the strawberry wedge across a metal zipper pull. With an arm extended in a measured gesture toward the open interior, I prepared my quiet departure into imaginary skies.