The Apartment Window

By Summer Kim

My brother and I sit on the apartment balcony,
Knees pulled in, the busy city humming below us
Across the street, a woman stands at her window,
Phone pressed to her ear, pacing in slow circles 

My brother says she’s waiting for someone,
That every step is a promise she hasn't broken yet
He points out how she keeps checking the door,
How hope makes people feel restless

I say she's trying to escape,
That the circle are her practicing to leave,
That the phone call is a rehearsed apology 
For someone who won’t listen 

Suddenly, a light turns on behind her,
Another shadow joins the silence, 
And she finally stops moving,

My brother smiles like he was right,
I stay quiet, thinking maybe we were both,
Because some moments are both waiting and leaving,
Depending on who’s watching  

Summer Kim is a student writer attending a school in New Jersey with a love for quiet stories, late-night journaling, and the rhythm of well-crafted sentences. Her work explores memory, identity, and the small moments that shape us. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading contemporary poetry and walking through the woods.