Taking on the Brass Hook

I marched down the street and ducked into the neighborhood hardware store, zeroing in on a low shelf lined with brass utility hooks. One oversized screw hook looked heavy enough to test anyone's grit, so I planted my feet and tried to lever it upright like a true crowbar. The cold metal barely budged before slipping flat against the perforated steel shelf with a sharp, resonant clang. It gave me a jolt, but I stood my ground, plant-footed on the metal grate, and claimed the curved brass prong as a rock-solid lean post.