Weighing In

I slipped into the garden potting shed and climbed onto the cedar workbench, where an antique brass balance scale rested beside a dish of river pebbles. Curious to test the pivot, I stepped onto the left saucer. The cool brass dipped beneath my weight with a soft metallic groan, tipping the empty right pan high into the draft. Gripping the suspension chain with one hand, I leaned forward and slid a rounded pebble into the opposite dish. The central pointer swayed lazily across the engraved notch before stopping dead center. Suspended between wood and air, I held still, savoring the gentle floating hover.