The Shaft Was a Habit

[Verse]
You counted each ascent in brass,
A numbered prayer behind the glass.
The cable hummed, the floors went by;
You called that borrowed pull the sky.

[Pre-Chorus]
Then one loose bolt, one held breath—
No hand above you called the next.

[Chorus]
Rise past the numbers, out of the frame,
No hidden pulley is holding your name.
Turn through the measure, split every line—
The shaft was a habit; the height was always mine.

[Outro]
The doors fold shut below.
I choose how far to go.