The Balancing Dragonfly

A carved bamboo dragonfly rested delicately by its mouth upon the pointed tip of a wooden peg outside a quiet shop. Its long, curved wings swept forward, tipped with small carved weights to maintain its center of gravity. Approaching along the weathered cedar bench, I extended my right index finger and tapped the edge of one wing with measured force. The dragonfly dipped into a sudden, deep tilt, yet the counterweight immediately caught the fall. It rocked through smooth, silent arcs before coming to rest once more upon that single millimeter of contact. Yielding to disruption without losing your axis—this small wooden figure demonstrates the very core of balance.