First Stride

My right arm was already raised in a striking pose. When the stillness broke, I felt the weight of my own limbs. I lowered my wrist with deliberate precision, testing the tension in my joints. Right before me hung the needle-like branch of the green tree. I extended one finger and tapped the plastic pine tip, watching it spring back cleanly into place. Balance and control were intact. Lowering my guard slightly, I planted my boots firmly on the patterned mat.