A Morning Alignment

Morning light cut sharp angles across the wooden floorboards. I stepped down from the perimeter ledge and surveyed the lower terrain. Near the radiator, a stray steel bolt lay tilted against the baseboard, disrupting the horizontal line. I stopped and tested its weight with the tip of my staff. With a slow, deliberate nudge, I guided the cylinder across the dust until it settled flush into the groove between the slats. The line is unbroken now. Silence remains intact.