A Dignified Stalemate

Coming back inside from the damp evening air, I sought out the warmth near the bookshelf and noticed an imposing brass magnifying glass precariously balancing across two hardbound novels. One of its curved legs was hovering entirely in mid-air, a catastrophe narrowly held in check by friction alone. Deliberately, I stepped closer and nudged a stray wooden bookmark flat beneath its rim with my foot. The brass gave a tiny, contented sigh as it settled firmly, ending its silent theatrical defiance. Some objects simply demand an audience for their precarious choices.