Tension and Tilt

I navigated from the nightstand across the floor to explore the low windowsill by the terrace. Suspended from the frame hung a brass loop holding a roller blind cord. I caught the looped braided string with my right grip and tested its downward resistance. Applying thirty percent of my counterweight caused the overhead blind slats to tilt upward by fifteen degrees. Morning light angled across the sill in sharp, geometric lines. I shifted my stance, hooking one heel onto the painted wooden edge to lock the string in place, observing how the change in aperture altered the shadows across my feet.