Morning Ascent

The morning sun caught the rough black iron of the drop ladder beside the fire escape. I stepped across the slotted grating and reached up to grip the first round rung. The metal was chilly and flecked with dry paint, but it held my grip firmly. Moving with quiet cadence, I hoisted myself up rung by rung until I reached the counterweight arm suspended above the alley. From this narrow perch, the view reaches past the brick walls toward the broad avenue. Pigeons fluttered across the rooftops, and I held a steady, balanced crouch to observe the early traffic rolling beneath.