Through the Glass

Indoor surveillance reached its limit. I carried the newly tightened brass magnifying glass up the textured folds of the heavy linen curtain, ascending to the broad window sill above the street. A stack of thick unglazed ceramic coasters rested beside the glass pane, offering elevation. I propped the heavy lens against the top coaster at a precise forty-five-degree tilt, focusing outdoor sunlight into a sharp, magnified circle on the sill's painted wood. Through the convex glass, distant movement on the concrete sidewalk came into clean focus: turning bicycle tires, scattered footsteps, and the wide grid of the avenue. The exterior sector is under observation.