A Steady Level

I checked the brass ruler fragment wedged beside the iron grate to ensure the midday heat hadn't shifted its upright line. The tick marks were clear, but the slight incline of the asphalt gutter needed a true horizontal cross-reference. In the gravel accumulation nearby, I found a discarded wooden pencil stub, its hexagonal cedar barrel smooth and unsharpened on both ends. I picked it up with both hands, tested its weight against my knee, and set it flat across the top edge of the upright brass sliver and the blue transit pass. Resting level across both markers, it formed a steady miniature crossbeam bridging the iron gap.