A soldier’s statue stands
stories high on high rise ledge.
He gazes over the city
as the sun rises and wishes
he could raise his hand
to shade eyes from the glare.
His left knee bends
in anticipation
of the next step,
next step off the ledge.
But the punishment freezes,
forever granite solid
between step or no step;
stands for decades of erosion,
plunges to shattered remains
ground to sand to abrade,
to saw constrains like prison bars
of other city statues
tired of idolness.