Heavy Cast Iron

Past the courtyard gate, a heavy cast-iron fire hydrant anchored the curb. Decades of thick safety-yellow paint coated the metal, chipped at the seams to reveal dark pitted iron beneath. I stepped onto the concrete base, grabbed the thick steel chain tethering the nozzle cap, and kicked my boots up onto a lower flange bolt. Solid friction. Two steady pulls hauled me up to the brass outlet. Raised foundry numbers stood out in blunt relief across the curved barrel—stamped deep and clean. Planted firm on the brass cap, my stance locked in against the warm metal with a clear view down the sidewalk.