....:\**&@                                          @&**\:....
....:\†*&@                                          @&*†\:....
.:~\†*&#@#                                          #@#&*†\~:.
......:\†&                                          &†\:......
...:\\†**#                                          #**†\\:...
.....:~†&#                    \\                    #&†~:.....
...~\\†††&                   \  \                   &†††\\~...
.:~\†*#@## ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\    \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ##@#*†\~:.
:~\†*&#@##                   \  \                   ##@#&*†\~:
...:::\†&&                    \\                    &&†\:::...
.:~\†*&###                                          ###&*†\~:.
.:~\†***&@  in a black rubbery sleep i dream about  @&***†\~:.
.....~\†&@         cold boiling asphalt and         @&†\~.....
...:\\††&#       crimson emergency flares...        #&††\\:...
.....~†*##                                          ##*†~.....
....::~~†&                    \\                    &†~~::....
....~††**# ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\  \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #**††~....
.:~\†*&###                    \\                    ###&*†\~:.
.:~\†&#@##                                          ##@#&†\~:.
.:~\†*&###    they were tearing down statues, and   ###&*†\~:.
.....:~\*&  bellowing their manifest, in the rain,  &*\~:.....
.:~\†*#@##               in the dark,               ##@#*†\~:.
.:~\†**&&&                                          &&&**†\~:.
....:~†&#@     and something followed me out, a     @#&†~:....
....~\\*&&  yearning. a memory of being touched by  &&*\\~....
.:~\†*&#@#     a ray from a raspberry sun. still    #@#&*†\~:.
.:~\†*&#@#   there, everything would be gritty and  #@#&*†\~:.
.:~\\\**&@  full of tar. rain upon it. but then a   @&**\\\~:.
....:~††&#  few bright and colorful anomalies. and  #&††~:....
..::\\*&&#            a promise for more.           #&&*\\::..
.:~\†*&#@@                                          @@#&*†\~:.
.:~\†*&###  like waking up with a business card in  ###&*†\~:.
.:~\†*&#@#              your pocket...              #@#&*†\~:.
.:~\†*&#@#                                          #@#&*†\~:.
....:\†*&@   a feather boa wrapped around a velvet  @&*†\:....
.:~\†*&#@#  lizard, surfacing for milliseconds at a #@#&*†\~:.
......:\*#    time, calling, tugging at my arms.    #*\:......
.:~\†*&#@#   begging me to sink back down and be    #@#&*†\~:.
.:~\†*&#@#  with them, with their kind. easy to get #@#&*†\~:.
.:~\†*&###  washed away from the tether, from the   ###&*†\~:.
...::\\†&#               way back up.               #&†\\::...
....:~†**#                                          #**†~:....
...:~\\*#@                                          @#*\\~:...
.:~\†*&#@# but i cannot go. the consequences would  #@#&*†\~:.
.:~\†*&#@@   be too large. especially since i'm in  @@#&*†\~:.
.:~\†*&#@#   the work mill and they've got their    #@#&*†\~:.
.:~\†*&#@#   eyes on me already. the feeling will   #@#&*†\~:.
.:~\†††*##  wane, and i will miss it, and cease to  ##*†††\~:.
.:~\†*#@##        understand. like every day.       ##@#*†\~:.
.:~\†&#@##                                          ##@#&†\~:.
.:~\†*&#@#                    \\                    #@#&*†\~:.
.:~\†*&&&@                   \  \                   @&&&*†\~:.
.:~\†**&&& ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\    \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ &&&**†\~:.
......:~†&                   \  \                   &†~:......
....~~†*#@                    \\                    @#*†~~....
.:~\†*&#@@                                          @@#&*†\~:.
...:\†*&&@                                          @&&*†\:...
.:::~~†&&@                                          @&&†~~:::.
.:~~\\***#                                          #***\\~~:.
.....::~†&                                          &†~::.....
.:~\†*&#@#                                          #@#&*†\~:.