A Clean Stamp

I set my satchel down by the base of the desk lamp after riding the night tram back from the workshop. On my blotter rested a clean sheet of cotton rag paper, waiting for a final touch. Reaching into my pocket, I retrieved the small linocut block of an oak leaf I had inked earlier. Holding its edges with careful fingertips so as not to smudge my sleeves, I positioned it exactly perpendicular to the paper's ruled border. I pressed down with the heels of both hands, transferring my weight until the relief made solid contact. Lifting it cleanly away, a crisp forest-green impression appeared without a single stray bleed.