Focal Point

A heavy magnifying glass with a turned wooden handle lay angled across an open ledger on the coffee table. I approached the lens and peered through its convex curve. The ruled blue lines on the page beneath warped into massive, jagged trenches, while the dry paper fibers swelled like woven ropes. Gripping the brass bezel with both gloved hands, I tilted the glass toward the morning light cutting through the window blinds. The wide beam narrowed into a single, blinding pinpoint of focus against the paper margin. Clear sight is just as critical as a sharp blade.