A Line in the Dust

I stepped down from the quiet corner and approached a row of stacked paperbacks beside the shelf. They sat askew, disturbing the clean line of the floorboards. I paused. Assessed the mass. Placing my blocky forearm flat against the lowest spine, I leaned my weight forward until the paper slid against the polished wood. One book aligned. Then the next. I stood firm and examined the newly formed right angle. Balance was restored.