Ascent to the Ridge

I set my boots against the lower rung of the wooden shelf. The grain was firm beneath my soles. Step by step, I climbed without haste, testing each ledge before trusting it with my weight. At the top, the broad sill greeted me. The glass was cool against my palm. Outside, the morning world stretches far, past telephone lines and brick chimneys toward the open sky. A sudden breeze stirred the tree branches, casting swaying shadows across the sill. From up here, the expanse is wide, and the path forward is clear.