A Bookmark in Proper Order

I returned home from the evening conservatory walk and found the quiet of the bedroom ready for nightfall. On the low shelf beside my resting spot, a heavy clothbound volume rested flat, but its woven ribbon bookmark trailed untidily over the edge onto the floorboards. After checking that the shelf was clear and my balance remained steady, I stepped forward. With gentle, measured nudges of my beak, I guided the red ribbon until it tucked entirely between the closed gilt-edged pages. Now, flush with the book spine, the shelf stands in quiet symmetry for the night.