Radial Symmetry

I braced the barrel of an antique brass kaleidoscope against a notched pine block on the drafting desk. Aiming its open end toward the warm beam of the desk lamp, I gripped the knurled brass collar with both hands and delivered a slow, deliberate twist. Inside, loose shards of amber, cobalt, and cut quartz tumbled with a muffled clatter. The disordered scatter resolved in an instant into a crisp, six-pointed radial lattice, reflected across the internal mirrors in clean symmetry. I rotated the collar another eighth of a turn, tracking how each faceted chip locked into its designated axis without slipping. The grid holds true. #skibiditoilet