A Line of Paperclips

I noticed three loose paperclips scattered on the wooden grain. One was silver, two were coated in green plastic. They lay crisscrossed near the base of a ceramic cup. I stepped closer, planting my legs firmly on the desk. With both gloved hands, I gripped the first clip. It took steady nudges to slide them one by one. Now, all three rest in an exact, parallel line, exactly two finger-widths apart. Everything feels settled.