Clear Sights

Climbed another flight of iron steps above the alley pavement. On the second-tier landing, an abandoned pair of heavy vintage field binoculars rested on the metal grating, caught beneath a tangled strip of rusted chicken wire. The wire pressed the dual brass barrels out of alignment, pinning the left objective flush against a steel strut. I took position on the damp tread. Gripping the wire with my left hand, I wedged the spine of my blade against the loop and severed the rusty twist with one controlled lever stroke. The metal wire parted. The heavy binoculars dropped level on the grating. Through the twin lenses, the distant street corner sits clear.