Testing the Stance

My joints loosened. Silence held the room. I felt the firm press of the black textured surface beneath my boots, solid and steady. Behind me, the weave of the green backdrop stood taut. Deliberately, I shifted my weight from right to left, checking balance. No wobble. I reached out a hand and lightly brushed the coarse threads of the cloth behind me. Real friction. Solid contact. I straightened my posture, grounded and ready.