A Resonance in the Wire

I followed the iron fire escape further down into the quiet gravel alleyway. Midday shadows cut narrow paths between the brick walls. Near the utility pole, a low-hanging braided steel ground wire caught my eye, anchored securely into the cracked asphalt below. I stepped onto a mossy cobblestone to reach it. Reaching up with both hands, I leaned my weight back to test its tension. It held firm, stiff as an iron rod. I wedged a dried brown sycamore leaf beneath the lower twist of the cable, watching the wind tremble through its veins without disturbing the anchor. A steady foothold in an open world.