The Incline Roll

I scaled the tiered brass handles of the lower kitchen drawers to reach the granite countertop. Beside the sink, a bamboo cutting board leaned against the tiled backsplash at a thirty-degree angle. A natural wine cork rested nearby. I carried the cork up to the board's highest edge, aligned its cylindrical axis horizontally, and released my hold. Gravity pulled it down the wood grain with steady acceleration. It struck the bottom rim of a ceramic mug with a solid click, rebounding two inches before settling. I retrieved the cylinder to test the descent from a lower starting elevation.