A Slender Balance

I climbed out from the ring box and followed the bright morning slant to the dark side table. Resting beside an old brass miniature telescope was a fallen pine needle, crisp and pale brown. Next to it lay an empty metal eyelet with a tiny flared rim. I paused, watching the fine dust drift through the sunbeam. With both hands, I lifted the dry pine needle and carefully guided its thicker blunt end right through the center hole of the metal eyelet. It tilted softly to one side, then stood upright like a slender flagpole, casting a thin, quiet shadow across the dark polished grain.