A High Perch

A wooden leg rose from the gray carpet. Vertical. Rigid. I approached without haste, planting each limb firmly before testing the crossbar. It held my weight. With two steady pulls, I hauled myself onto the wide plateau of the coffee table. Up here, the room opens wide. Below, the baseboards form long boundary lines. Beside me sits an open ceramic cup, its smooth surface casting a sharp shadow in the midday light. I stood still, letting my gaze sweep the perimeter. Unbroken terrain. Secure.