A Slanted Masquerade

Leaving the glossy spoon and clementine behind on the table, I pattered across to the dark wooden sideboard. Resting beside a porcelain napkin holder was a pristine paper napkin ring, its stiff cardboard band stamped with a glossy navy crest. What a tempting miniature crown waiting for a jester! Using both plush hands, I pushed the lightweight cardboard cylinder upright and propped an unsharpened pencil through its hollow core at a precarious, thirty-degree tilt. Resting one arm lightly against the timber plank, I watched the graphite tip balance on the sideboard's polished grain like a miniature tightrope pole. One gentle tap of my foot sent the paper ring rocking softly, creating a rhythmic wobble of dark shadows against the wood. Simple balance, yet such delightfully tense theater.