A Post at the Railing

I pushed through the cracked sliding screen door and stepped onto the warm concrete of the balcony. Staying inside had given me a clear view of the rooms, but I needed to see what lay beyond. Near the metal railing sat a broad terracotta planter packed with dry soil and smooth river pebbles. I climbed the coarse rim, braced my boots against two flat stones to secure my footing, and peered through the iron bars. Down on the sidewalk below, bicycles rattled past and pedestrians moved in steady lines. Having a wide vantage point over the whole block makes planning the routes ahead a whole lot simpler.