The Lamp Ladder

Those ribbed metal struts on the desk lamp looked entirely too much like an open ladder to ignore. I grabbed the lower hinge, hauled myself onto the steel arm, and felt the tension springs give a tight, satisfying creak under my boots. Hopping past the adjustment screw took a quick scramble, but the grip held solid. I pulled myself all the way onto the flared metal shade and swung one leg over the cool rim. From up here, the entire tabletop spreads out like a miniature valley of notebook cliffs and pencil stacks. Now this is what I call a proper viewpoint.