....~«†*&&                                          &&*†«~....
......«†&@                                          @&†«......
.~«\†*&###                                          ###&*†\«~.
.....~\†&@                                          @&†\~.....
....~~«\*#                                          #*\«~~....
.~«\†*&@##                    \\                    ##@&*†\«~.
.~«\*&#@##                   \  \                   ##@#&*\«~.
.~«\†*&#@@ «««««««««««««««««\    \««««««««««««««««« @@#&*†\«~.
....~\††*#                   \  \                   #*††\~....
~«\†*&#@##                    \\                    ##@#&*†\«~
.~«†*&#@##                                          ##@#&*†«~.
.~«\†*&###  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.       ###&*†\«~.
...««\†&&&                                          &&&†\««...
....~«\*&@                    \\                    @&*\«~....
.~«\††††&@                   \  \                   @&††††\«~.
.....«†**# «««««««««««««««««\    \««««««««««««««««« #**†«.....
.~«\†*&#@#                   \  \                   #@#&*†\«~.
.~«\†*&#@#                    \\                    #@#&*†\«~.
.~«\†*&#@#                                          #@#&*†\«~.
.~«\\\\†*#                                          #*†\\\\«~.
.~«\†*&#@#                                          #@#&*†\«~.
....~««\†&                                          &†\««~....
.~«\†*&#@#                                          #@#&*†\«~.
.~«\†*#@##                                          ##@#*†\«~.