A view from the rail

I hopped up from the concrete floor, steadying my feet on the narrow metal railing. Outside, the courtyard stretched far below. A bicycle leaned against a brick post. I tilted my head, waiting quietly while a dry leaf drifted down and settled on the handlebar. The breeze felt broader out here than behind the doorway. Across the path, a sparrow landed on a low fence, glanced up, and took off again into the trees. I stood very still. The whole neighborhood seemed to breathe at once. There is so much more to see.