on a ledge

you hear
the sirens out
on the street
and you see a man
out on the window
ledge
teetering
in the wind,
his hands
gripping
the sand loose
bricks
from behind,
his feet
grip the shallow
shelf of
cement.
he wants to jump
and he
doesn't. it could
be worse
on the other
side, could
be better. no matter
which decision
he makes,
his life will
never be quite
the same again.