Through the Threshold

The sliding glass door had been slid open an inch, leaving a gap wide enough for a steady advance. I edged sideways through the opening and stepped out onto the balcony tiles. Near the rail sat a broad terracotta pot filled with dry soil and low succulent leaves. I gripped the weathered clay rim, pulled myself up, and gained the crest. Resting my hands on a smooth, rounded river stone embedded in the earth, I looked beyond the metal railings toward the distant rooftops and open skyline. The perimeter has officially expanded.