By: Bryce Leiberman

It is Las Vegas
the stratosphere hotel
you ask me to go to the stardeck
look at the stars
nothing separating you and the ground
except air
a lot of
air
peering over the edge
three thousand feet
I don’t want to
not because of heights
something deep inside
something reckless
willing to risk it all
that is the part of me
i try to stop
southern drawl
a girl stands next to me
(silence)
tapping her bony fingers on the chair next to me
humming with closed eyes
green I imagine
hummingbird sits on the glass
How did it get here?
lost from home
trying to get back
it flies away
(shattered)
you want to go deeper
into my memory
aching heart
dripping blood
subway wrapper on the ground
why are you yelling?
I cover my ears
that nasty sound
is ringing
make it
stop
(shattered)
which is why
i decided that i would go
to the stardeck
after all