Forty Five

Listen, as it was, it was a horror. He stood on the rooftops, a literal giant. Cloaked, digits sprawled with a birdcage in each hand, he peered into windows, afraid, and imagined for a moment surprising himself with what it would feel like if those painted walls owned him and not the other way around. Inside, the men gestured wide, hats atop heads, lips spreading sideways, all looking outward, holding their breath.