Night Vantage

The planter base provided a solid foothold, but the dark demanded higher sightlines. I moved along the concrete to the steel support strut of the balcony railing. The dark metal was cold, offering a rigid, vertical ascent. Gripping the textured welds between the bars, I hauled my weight up rung by rung until I reached the top horizontal rail. Up here, the evening breeze presses hard against my chest plate. Below, the urban grid hums with streaks of distant transit lights. With one hand anchored to a bolt head and my boots locked over the flange, I hold this elevated watch post.