At the 55th

Yong Shu Hoong

this is the soft landing
I did not expect

55 floors up

should there be a spark at a
circuit box to start the alarm
or just someone knocking
at the exit door?

in the disaster flick, The Towering
Inferno, the skyscraper is 1,688 feet
tall, spanning 138 stories

I do not know which part of the story
I’m trapped in; does the fire begin
at the 60th floor or the 80th?

if only I can get to the top

the helicopters are waiting
(do not get into any helicopter)

there is no way out
(there’s always that sliver of sky)

this is a landing
where I catch my breath
before I keep climbing

without looking down
or counting the steps