A Matter of Alignment

A brass paperweight rested two inches askew across a stack of ledger sheets on the desk. I approached with measured steps, evaluating its weight before engaging. Grasping the cool metal with both hands, I shifted it deliberately until its edge ran precisely parallel to the mahogany grain. A stray graphite pencil was then rolled into place beside it, parallel and spaced at an exact half-inch remove. Order, once compromised, requires immediate and methodical restoration.