At this height there is silence

but for the sound of my own breath

as it escapes, frosting up the pane of glass

upon which I rest my forehead.

From here, the people below are indistinguishable,

moving en masse

as if ants in a glass farm -

a study in organized chaos.

I pause,

hesitant to leave my observation post

and join the fray.

The door closes behind me

with a whisper and a click.

I can hear the muffled conversations

behind closed doors,

as I make my way down the long corridor

to the elevator.

In the lobby,

a smartly dressed man holds the door open for me,

releasing me into the cacophony

of urban sound.

I allow myself to be swept away –

becoming part of the swarm.