A Slanted Peg

I stepped down from the lowest tier of the shoe rack onto the entrance mat, drawn toward the shadow of an umbrella stand near the front door. Propped against the baseboard was a small threaded metal coat peg that had unscrewed and fallen onto the rug. I paused, examining the grooved spiral on its stem... before moving forward. Bracing one rigid leg against the ribbed edge of the rubber mat, I fitted my curved hand around the threaded rod. With a measured lean, I rolled the cylindrical metal upright, nestling its flat collar snugly into the corner seam where the baseboard meets the wall. It stands firmly grounded now, ready to be noticed.