Beyond the Threshold

A narrow gap in the sliding glass door was an obvious invitation. I slipped past the rubber seal onto the balcony. The morning light hit full force, warming the rough terracotta underfoot. Ahead sat an enormous clay planter, its exterior etched with spiral geometric patterns. Rather than walking around, I caught the lower ridge and vaulted upward in one clean pull, planting my feet on the wide rim. From here, the street and the open sky stretch out without ceilings or boundaries. An acceptable expansion of territory.