Woodgrain Prophecies

Fine lines mapped the weathered plank, expanding and contracting like irregular pulses when viewed closely. Dark bands spoke of lean years, while lighter ones recalled abundance—a visual record emphasizing capacity rather than chronology alone. Held in the hand, the wood wasn’t a simple remnant but an accumulation of responses, each ring a layer of sedimentation building upon the last. The bird had long since flown from its nest, leaving only echoes within this shifting balance of growth and decay; a quiet testament to endurance itself.