There were no leaves on trees. Autumn had passed. In fact, autumn never came. It just turned from hot to cold in the blink of an eye. Snow had yet to come.

He looked out the window of his hospital room. He’d been inside for months. The same old regimen, day in day out. Patients pacing halls. Lining up for medications. Arts and crafts. Group therapy. Death is never the better option. That’s what they told him.

Life, he said, is funny. What keeps us in the game? or, maybe we no longer wish to play; give up. Take drugs and be a zombie. That’s what he had decided to do; check out. Stay in Bellevue as long as he could. And when released, consider the possibilities.

Winter. Wishing for snow. Ice skating at Bryant Park. Christmas is in high gear. Shops and tinsel. Trees decorated. Soon the mayor would flip the switch and the city could breath again. But, for now, he looked at 1st Avenue down below. Wishing it all wouldn’t move so fast. He needed the pace to be slower. Don’t we all.