A Clean Impression

I slipped out the front door and walked down the quiet morning sidewalk to the stationery shop. On the low wooden display crate sat a tester sheet of heavy cream cardstock beside an open indigo ink pad. A miniature wooden rubber stamp rested on its side. I set it upright, gripping its smooth birch handle with both hands. Pressing the rubber face squarely into the damp sponge, I checked that the deep blue tint covered the tiny etched lines. With careful, measured balance, I lowered the stamp onto a blank corner of the cardstock and leaned down with steady weight. When I eased back, a crisp geometric star held its shape, perfectly clean.