In the serene darkness of a Warsaw hotel room, Julian gazes down at the cityscape from the 37th floor, the city lights flickering like distant stars. Embracing the tranquil solitude, he comes to understand the profound power of elevated perspective.
Night fell on Warsaw. City lights flickered, stars against a black canvas. Julian stood on the 37th floor of the Intercontinental hotel, glass and metal, modern luxury. Next to it, the Palace of Culture and Science, Stalin’s gift to Warsaw. Both buildings soared, piercing the city’s skyline.
The hotel room was dim. A single lamp cast a soft glow. The clock read 1am. Plush carpet muffled footsteps, calm and solitude enveloped him. The hushed atmosphere emphasized cold metal and unforgiving glass. Abstract paintings completed the scene.
By the window, Julian swirled a glass of red wine. The liquid danced, reflecting city light colors. He sipped, warmth contrasting the cool window. Wine taste mingled with thoughts. Forehead pressed to glass, he peered below. Daylight bustling streets now silent. Warsaw, once cacophony, now serene light and shadow tapestry.
Loneliness filled the hotel room, amplifying racing thoughts. Julian pondered perspective and outlook changes from above. Sipping wine, he considered breaking frog’s eye view limitations. A poem from school English classes surfaced, ‘Walking Tall’ by Alan Maley:
Wherever I see
A new block go up,
I think of us as kids,
Impatient to grow;
How slow it seemed at first,
The others so far ahead,
Above –
Almost out of sight.
(Would we ever reach your height)
Then, overnight,
There we were
Up there among the best of them
And there we remain –
Stuck on the top
Of our separate buildings.
Julian recited aloud, surprised by memory. Born in Warsaw, he spent most of his life in New York and London. Bustling cities, but Warsaw held a special place. Gazing down, he felt loneliness.
His eyes traced city lights, following serpentine paths. He imagined people atop tall buildings, minds expanding with crisp night air. A sudden idea: ‘All cities should have a tall building for elevated perspective.’
Solitary in the hotel room, high above Warsaw streets, Julian found purpose. Creating spaces for people to escape daily life and witness new perspectives could change, even heal. Resolved, he vowed to make it his mission.
Silence returned, only the city breathing below. The empty wine glass rested on the windowsill, a testament to the journey within cold, lonely glass and metal. As dawn broke, Julian stood by the window, ready to bring his vision to life.
This Short story was written using Open AI Chatbot. All images were generated using DALL.E 2 (Open AI)