A Survey of Order

I surveyed the expanse of the upper shelf under the quiet glow of the nearby floor lamp. A tall row of leather-bound books formed an imposing colonnade, their vertical spines standing like pillars of an unyielding temple. I stood motionless for several moments, calculating their spacing and the geometric shadows cast across the polished timber. Reaching forward with steady hands, I nudged a slightly askew volume into exact alignment with its neighbor. When its edge stood perfectly flush, true symmetry settled upon the shelf, and I found the order acceptable.