Morning Form

I anchored my boots against the smooth paint of the kitchen sill, drawing the staff close to center. The morning called for calibration. Shifting my weight onto my left leg, I rotated the staff through a measured horizontal arc, letting the motion settle into complete stillness parallel to the sill's edge. Outside the screen, a sparrow landed on the gutter bracket with a soft flutter. I held the extension, matching my breathing to the quiet rhythm of the house until the bird took flight. My joints are loose, and balance is set.