Morning light bleeds onto the fire escape, harsh and unforgiving. The city below stretches out, a tapestry of broken dreams woven into concrete and steel. The clang of distant construction echoes a hollowness in my chest.

Another night, another full ashtray for company. The ache of loneliness is a familiar weight, a shadow I can’t outrun.

But then, across the street, a flicker of life. Your eyes.

A vision, an echo of a dream you left behind. You dance, a silhouette bathed in the golden light, a memory come alive. Your laughter, a melody carried on the breeze, a cruel taunt of what could have been.

The city fades, the noise muted. There’s only you, a whirlwind of uninhibited joy, a stark contrast to the hollowness that consumes me.

I reach out, but my hand grasps at empty air. You’re a figment, a cruel trick of the light. The ache intensifies, a bitter reminder of what I’ve lost.

The dance ends, the music fades. You’re gone, leaving behind a world painted in shades of gray.

I clench the paper, a silent scream trapped in my throat. The city grinds on, oblivious to my despair.

Maybe I’m a ghost haunting this fire escape, but for a fleeting moment, you let me see the light. And for that, the ache is a small price to pay.