,,.»/%@&£# #£&@%/».,,
¨,=†*$&@@# #@@&$*†=,¨
¨.-=^$§§¶@ @¶§§$^=-.¨
,.,:-^^@§¶ ¶§@^^-:,.,
..,.--;§&# #&§;--.,..
,..,-/*£££ . . » / * = ~ ¨ £££*/-,..,
¨¨,-;†%#@# . , ~ * = = . . #@#%†;-,¨¨
,:»=$*§@@# , ~ = : / ~ : , #@@§*$=»:,
,.-~=^§&#@ . - ~ * ^ - - , @#&§^=~-.,
¨,,-~=*¤&£ £&¤*=~-,,¨
,¨,¨,=^=@¤ as we cross the mountain, we can walk ¤@=^=,¨,¨,
..¨-~*=££# only at night. long ago, someone here #££=*~-¨..
,¨.»**£##@ must've angered the sun, and today it @##£**».¨,
¨^»\%£££## still burns us strangely. but with the ##£££%\»^¨
¨..=\=$@@@ sunset the air comes raining back down @@@$=\=..¨
.,..~:%§## and gets thick enough to breathe. it ##§%:~..,.
.¨¨¨^-*†%& carries with it smells from far away, &%†*-^¨¨¨.
,,¨.~*^£§@ colourful sparks for the imagination, a @§£^*~.¨,,
.,^»\*£§@# sharp contrast for the stale black of #@§£*\»^,.
¨-~^*$##@# the night. #@##$*^~-¨
¨,,-=$£@#@ @#@£$=-,,¨
.¨,.-\%¤@@ the others think i'm young, they don't @@¤%\-.,¨.
.,,,^»\*%¤ take me seriously and i fear they ¤%*\»^,,,.
,¨,~»;^£&£ snicker a bit. you usually get old £&£^;»~,¨,
¨¨.-/^%¤@# before you learn the trade enough to #@¤%^/-.¨¨
¨,«;^$&### take other people. but i do lead them ###&$^;«,¨
¨¨:-=**£@@ safely forward, every night. @@£**=-:¨¨
,,¨:«/%@#@ @#@%/«:¨,,
,¨,.-»\$%£ however, currently there seems to be £%$\»-.,¨,
,,,:-;*%£# something going on ahead. those around #£%*;-:,,,
¨,,~^=£§@# the corner have stopped, shouting, #@§£=^~,,¨
,~~:^¤¤@@# pointing. #@@¤¤^:~~,
,¨^=\§£¤¶# #¶¤£§\=^¨,
¨¨,^«:=@¤@ ¨.¨ ¨, ,»/-¨ ,. ,., @¤@=:«^,¨¨
,..,,-=%§& ¨., ,¨ ¨«\», ¨. ¨,¨ &§%=-,,..,
¨.¨:«:*§§@ .,. .. ¨~†=, ,. ,¨, @§§*:«:¨.¨
.,,»==%@@@ .,, ., .~\-¨ ., ¨¨¨ @@@%==»,,.
.,»:$&¤#@# ,,¨ ,, ¨=;~. ¨. ... #@#¤&$:»,.
,.:»\%£¤#@ ..¨ ¨¨ .«†-¨ .. ,¨. @#¤£%\»:.,
,¨..=/§¤## ,., ¨. ,~:». .. ¨,. ##¤§/=..¨,
¨.,¨.~=*£¤ ¨., ¨¨ ¨»†«, ¨, ,¨¨ ¤£*=~.¨,.¨
,,.-»:†$#@ @#$†:»-.,,
.,,~/*&¤¶@ my greatest treasure, the @¶¤&*/~,,.
.~=^†£¤#@# book of stars, is a combined map, #@#¤£†^=~.
,¨,»†§@##@ calendar and timepiece as long as you @##@§†»,¨,
.,.,~/†£££ know what year it is. every page is a £££†/~,.,.
¨...--*^£& grid of nine starfields, hand drawn, &£^*--...¨
.¨..=†=$## below which are written coordinates in ##$=†=..¨.
¨..~=$@£## both space and time. a lot of it is ##£@$=~..¨
.,»/%*§### applicable on earth, but not all. it ###§*%/»,.
,¨-~^=&##@ hints of other places - some stars @##&=^~-¨,
,¨¨,-=%&#@ reordered, some names i have never @#&%=-,¨¨,
.¨¨.:«==§§ heard. sometimes the dates are §§==«:.¨¨.
,,,-~:†£#£ impossible. £#£†:~-,,,
..-=:*££@# #@££*:=-..
¨.~^=§¤¶## those pages are exactly what i scramble ##¶¤§=^~.¨
¨.:=;†$§## for right now. i've stopped breathing. ##§$†;=:.¨
,,¨-~*%$#£ i sling open the book of stars a bit £#$%*~-¨,,
¨.¨¨-=/^§¤ too quick, spilling all my notes on the ¤§^/=-¨¨.¨
.,,^~^§$§@ ground. one lands on my foot, it is a @§$§^~^,,.
.¨-«=$&££# drawing of a muscle cow, but i could #££&$=«-¨.
¨:~††£¤£## care less right now. ##£¤£††~:¨
¨¨:=^^$¤@@ @@¤$^^=:¨¨
,¨¨.-:=&¤# for it seems like there's a new moon in #¤&=:-.¨¨,
¨¨¨,.«;%££ the sky. ££%;«.,¨¨¨
.,,,»^§*§£ £§*§^»,,,.
.,^»^^@¤@@ @@¤@^^»^,.
.:=**%§¶## ##¶§%**=:.
.,:-\§¤§@# #@§¤§\-:,.
¨,,^»;=¤#@ @#¤=;»^,,¨
¨.,,~«/†%£ £%†/«~,,.¨