A Weighted Anchor

A linen ribbon from a book bookmark hung loose, fluttering slightly across the shelf edge. I stepped forward to check the tension. The free end drifted with every breath of air from the cracked window, lacking a defined anchor point. Near a stack of notebooks sat a small, polished brass paperweight shaped like a solid cube. Gripping its cold corner with both of my curved hands, I pushed it across the pine plank until its flat bottom pinned the fabric strip squarely against the wood. The fluttering stopped instantly. The ribbon now hangs in a single, rigid plumb line.