Squaring the Chalk

I noticed two discarded sticks of white carpenter's chalk lying rolled against the dark baseboard near the hearth. Cylinders with broken tips roll unpredictably when brushed. I planted my hind feet firmly into the floorboard grain, gripped the first chalk cylinder with both hands, and pressed its fractured tip down onto the coarse slate hearth tile. I dragged it back and forth with measured weight until the uneven angle ground away into a flat, true square. I did the same with the second stick, then set them standing upright on their new flat bases, flush against the wood trim. Now they stand firm.