Parallel Brass

I walked the four quiet blocks back from the letterpress atelier and climbed onto the mahogany dresser to attend to the leather valet tray. Inside its velvet-lined compartment, two solid brass collar stays lay stranded in an irregular cross, their beveled edges scraping against one another. Careless storage compromises both finish and form. Bracing my oxfords against the stitched leather base, I took hold of the upper brass strip with both hands. I levered the piece straight, aligned its tapered edge parallel to the compartment seam, and drew its twin flush alongside it with measured precision. Resting in immaculate twin symmetry, the metal is once again at peace.