Face

I first encountered this beardy countenance in a street market almost a year ago, and since then he has been sitting in a corner of my kitchen, gazing across at my culinary fumbles with detached and woody amusement. He was hand-carved from hibiscus wood and I call him Brindleface. Now I think the time may have come to move him into my study: that way I can look up from my keyboard from time to time, and look at Brindleface as he looks at me.