The air was sharp, and brisk, and chill
The day had passed, devoid of thrill
I'd traveled long, and paused to rest
When began this tale I now attest
The sun had set, and stars shone down
The sliver moon was a pale frown
I walked passed diners, stores and shops
When from the sky escaped rain drops
These droplets did me not much harm
I was much too weary to be alarmed
Outlined against the night sky blue
A man stood to enjoy the view
Atop a building, very high
But a shadow against a starry sky
He came to see the city above
A scene so many artists love
I'm sure at night, it was so pretty
The neon lights of all the city
I'd bet he just wanted to be alone
What a poor soul, how could he have known
The wind thought he belonged not in the air
When it began blowing small drops through his hair
The furious gale despised him so
It began snapping his jacket to and fro
He steadied himself upon the ledge
And knew he was too close to the edge
But the wind began blowing stronger and stronger
It couldn't stand him any longer
And with one final gust of truth
It threw the man from atop the roof

On the ground, against awning beams
I had, in apathy, begun to lean
But his fall was like electric shock
I ran across the wet sidewalk
But I saw him, and my poor heart stilled
He'd caught himself on a windowsill
He clung, quite literally, for his life dear
The rain drops now fell like angry tears
When a voice in traffic came from below
It rang out clear and spiteful:

"Let go!"

With those two words, seconds past
And a mob had gathered, very fast
With shouts and footfall and car doors slammed
A crowd had formed below the man
"Let go!" they cried, "Fall!" they leered
"End your worthless life!" they jeered
And did they try to help the man
As only loving neighbors can?
Did they respond with gasps and yelps?
Did they bother to call for help?
They wanted blood and innards, a kill
They wanted for him to let go of the sill
Only one of them didn't want him to die
A little blond girl, off to the side
Tears spilled down her round, young cheeks
"Daddy," she cried, her quivering voice weak

Now, I'm not one to ignore a scene
And an event like this was not to demean
So I cautiously strode through the screaming crowd
Silent in a mob that was so loud
I began to wonder "What if he fell?"
What story would these people tell
To the cameras, this bloodthirsty mob
"It was such a tragedy," they'd sob
In interviews, with eyes so sad
"He just let go, he really had"
They'd conveniently leave out the part
Of hunger for standstill of his heart
Of course, they wouldn't ever tell
That they didn't bother to call for help
And they'd move on without second thought
About their deed they would think not
They'd sleep soundly without any guilt
Their dreams not about the man they'd killed
But with the rain fell the man's tears
And in one final burst of fear
He climbed back up, onto the rooftop
But the angry mob refused to stop

"Don't let him escape" they screamed in rage
They sneered "He must be pretty brave"
And still, the little blond girl cried
She knew as I did: the man had to die
But there was one thing I could do
I turned to the mob and pushed my way through
I ran in the building and up the cold stairs
I ran until I was finally there
I threw open the doorway to the top
And, for one moment, time seemed to stop

He was so young, his life, so short
Who knew that death was a spectator sport?
I knew he could try, but there was no escape
One innocent look had sealed his fate
A life, lost, for want of a view
The crowd wouldn't let him live, I knew
The man had turned to behind him glance
I knew it was time, and seized my chance
The pain, the guilt, how I felt it so!
I felt the young girl's wide eyes from below
But I surged toward the edge, toward the victim
And in his rain-splattered back I kicked him
And he fell, saved from shame and fear
And I screamed the final thing he'd hear
Those two last words escaped my dry throat
And rang through thunder and lightning:

"Let go."