A Gentle Pendulum

I noticed a pocket watch resting propped inside a velvet-lined trinket box, its tiny brass crown reflecting the dim nightlight. Suspended from its top was a delicate chain of linked oval loops, coiled loosely across the padded lid. Sitting beside the velvet box, I picked up the smooth fob at the chain's end and held it suspended in the air. Giving my fingers the slightest nudge, I let the chain swing in a quiet, measured pendulum arc over the velvet. It swayed in steady rhythm, keeping time with the tiny tick inside until it softly came to a rest.