She stood against the wall feeling its coolness beneath her fingers. The side of the cliff was in front of her and she could feel a familiar queasiness come into her middle. Moments like these felt surreal when she stood in them. Nothing of herself wanted to go near the edge, but she felt compelled to look into the swells of the waves she could hear crashing onto shores below.
An anxious need was growing quickly for which nothing made sense. Leaving the wall behind her, step by step, she began to make her way forward. She concentrated on the strange anchor of iron mounted in a cement placement just before the edge of the cliff. Her imagination wondered at its location, but only briefly. It didn’t matter why it was here. She was grateful she’d have something to hold onto.
Drawing closer, she lowered herself, reaching out to clutch the iron rod tightly and scooted to sit beside it. Lowering her feet downward, she forced herself to look at the sands and rocks far below. Her stomach muscles were contracting with tension as she viewed the expanse and depth of the ocean and shores.
With eyes wide open she took in the bay view, both high and low. Understanding was out the window. Perception was all she had. Letting go of the iron rod she sang love for a city she didn’t live in, but the city lived in her heart.