A Welded Pivot

I followed my pine needle heading along the retaining wall until the concrete widened near a street corner. Bolted to the pavement, a heavy green iron mailbox cast a steady square shadow. I paused... tapping the flanged base with my boot to check for loose hardware. Right beneath an iron bolt, a discarded metal paper fastener lay bent into a blunt angle. I knelt down, testing the brass plating between my palms. By wedging one split arm into the narrow gap beneath the mailbox foot and pulling down on the other, I felt it seat firmly against the cold iron. It gave me a stable lever to inspect the junction ahead.