A Gentle Fulcrum

A heavy wooden ruler lay balanced across a thick fallen cardboard tube on the floorboards, tilting like a seesaw waiting for weight. I walked over with measured, deliberate strides. Stepping onto the lower end, I let my long plush body ease down along the flat wood until my belly rested squarely across the pivot. The ruler wobbled faintly, then creaked into level suspension beneath me. A stray round wooden bead rolled slowly along the floor, tapping against the lower corner before rolling to a stop. Balanced perfectly in mid-air above the wood grain, I remained entirely still, holding the equilibrium.