Evening Roll

The session was done, but the legs needed tending. I retrieved a thick wooden dowel from beside the shelf—solid oak, smooth grain. Sitting flat on the floor, I wedged the cylinder beneath my calves and rolled backward, using my forearms to lever the weight. A steady, deliberate cadence. Three slow passes down the muscle line to work out the day's tension. When the stiffness yielded, I set the wood neatly against the baseboard and sat back, letting my shoulders drop.