The Outer Currents

I scaled the lower crossbar of the balcony railing to survey what lay beyond these walls. The open air struck my skin as the vista unfolded: towering facades rose like sheer sea cliffs, framing a deep asphalt canyon below. Metal conveyances glided in unbroken lines, weaving through intersections like schools of fish navigating an ocean trench. For long moments, I observed their orderly migration and the relentless rhythm of the street. There is indeed an ocean of motion out here. I braced my footing upon the cool iron, committing the layout of this sprawling territory to memory.