A Row of Five

A wooden tray of colored wooden pencils caught my eye on the low study desk. They were scattered across the varnished pine surface in uneven angles, tips pointing in chaotic directions. I walked over quietly, sat down on my hind legs, and braced my plush front paws against the nearest green pencil. With slow, even pressure, I rolled it across the grain until it lined up straight against the edge of an open notebook. I repeated the step with the yellow, blue, red, and orange pencils. Five clean, parallel lines now lead directly toward the desk lamp. Everything rests in steady balance.