¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨ @@¨¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ @@@¨¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨ @¨@@¨¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨¨@¨@@¨ ¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨@
¨@@¨¨¨¨@@@ ¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨@
¨@@@¨¨¨@¨@ WINDS ESKER ¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨@ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨@ @@¨¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ THERE WAS THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS ¨@@¨¨¨@¨@@
@¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨ I COULDN'T GO TO. REGARDLESS HOW MUCH ¨@@@¨¨¨¨@@
@@¨¨¨@¨@@¨ DISCUSSED WITH OTHERS, OR POINTED OUT ¨@¨@@¨¨¨@¨
@@@¨¨¨¨@@@ ON MAPS, I COULD NOT THINK OF IT WHEN ¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨
@¨@@¨¨¨@¨@ ALONE. I WOULD OFTEN TRAVEL PAST THE ¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨
¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨¨ FORK, WHERE A RIGHT TURN WOULD SURELY @¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨ TAKE ME THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING @@¨¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨ KEPT ME AWAY. @@@¨¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨ @¨@@¨¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨¨¨@@@¨ WHEN I FINALLY GOT THERE, AFTER SOME ¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨@
¨@@¨¨¨@¨@@ HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST ¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨@
¨@@@¨¨¨¨@@ ASSUME, THE PLACE WAS SURREAL. AN ¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨@¨ ESKER, LIKE A NEEDLE-THIN RIFT OUT IN ¨¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨ THE LAKE, BUT TEN METERS HIGH AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ ADORNED IN BIRCH, WILLOW, BRACKEN, AND ¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@@
@¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨ BLUEBERRIES. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@
@@¨¨¨@¨@@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨
@@@¨¨¨¨@@@ WALKING ATOP THAT SPINE, I CAME TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
@¨@@¨¨¨@¨@ NOTICE THE VIEW TO EITHER SIDE. THERE ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨@ SHOULD BE SHORES, OF COURSE, BUT I ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨@ DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM. FIRST OFF, THEY @¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨ WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE LAKE SHOULD ¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨ STRETCH FOR A HUNDRED METERS MORE ON ¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨ BOTH SIDES. BUT NOW I FELT I COULD @¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@@ ALMOST REACH OUT AND TOUCH THEM. AND @@¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@ THEN, WHEN I REALIZED WHICH SHORES THEY @@@¨¨@¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨ WERE, I HAD TO STOP. @¨@@¨¨@¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨@@@¨¨@¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ THEY WERE OF THE RIGHT LAKE. BUT THIS ¨¨@¨@@¨¨@¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND @¨¨¨@@@¨¨@
@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ BIPARTITE. LIKE A PAIR OF LUNGS CARVED @@¨¨@¨@@¨¨
¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ INTO THE GRANITE, AND WITH NO LESS THAN ¨@@¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS ¨@@@¨¨@¨@@
@¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨ POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE ¨@¨@@¨¨¨@@
@@¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨ IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY ¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨
@@@¨¨@¨¨¨¨ UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING MANY MILES @¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨
@¨@@¨¨@¨¨¨ AWAY. @@¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨@@@¨¨@¨¨ @@@¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨@¨@@¨¨@¨ I EXAMINED THE RIDGE, THE TREELINE @¨@@¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨@@@¨¨@ ABOVE. WAS THIS WHAT YOU SAW OPPOSITE, ¨¨@@@¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨@¨@@¨¨ FROM THOSE OTHER SHORES? I COULDN'T ¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨@
¨@@¨¨¨@@@¨ REMEMBER. @¨¨¨@@@¨¨@
¨@@@¨¨@¨@@ @@¨¨@¨@@¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨@@ CARRYING FORWARD, ON THE VERY TIP OF ¨@@¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨ THE ESKER, I FOUND THE RUINS OF SOME ¨@@@¨¨@¨@@
@¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN ¨@¨@@¨¨¨@@
@@¨¨¨@@@¨¨ MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH ¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨
@@@¨¨@¨@@¨ THE MOSS, AND STRANGE SLABS INSERTED @¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨
@¨@@¨¨¨@@@ INTO THE SLOPE LIKE DAMS AGAINST THE ¨@¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨@@@¨¨@¨@ GROUND ITSELF. ¨¨@¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨@ ¨¨¨@¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨@@@¨¨@ SITTING THERE, I COULD SEE ACROSS THE ¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨@¨@@¨¨ NARROWED LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE I ¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@
¨@@¨¨¨@@@¨ SAT: FROM THE STAIRWELL OF MY HOUSE, @¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨@
¨@@@¨¨@¨@@ THROUGH THE OLD WOODS BEHIND THE TILE @@¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨@@ FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE @@@¨¨¨¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨ TWENTY THREE AND THEN BACK UNDER IT, @¨@@¨¨¨¨¨@
@¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ THROUGH THE FANCY VILLAS, OVER THE ¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨¨
¨@¨¨¨@@@¨¨ FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN AT THE ¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨
¨¨@¨¨@¨@@¨ FORK. ¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨
¨¨¨@¨¨¨@@@ @¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨
¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨@ AND THEN THE STAIRS UP ON THE RIDGE. @@¨¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@ THINKING BACK, THIS WAS PROBABLY IT. ¨@@¨¨¨@¨@@
@¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨@ HIDDEN IN A GROVE, THERE WERE STAIRS ¨@@@¨¨¨¨@@
@@¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨ MUCH LIKE THE ONES I CURRENTLY SAT ON, ¨@¨@@¨¨¨@¨
@@@¨¨¨¨¨@¨ OLD AND WORN DOWN, THAT LEAD YOU UP ¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨
@¨@@¨¨¨¨¨@ ONTO THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD ¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨
¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨¨ I INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE PATH AT ITS @¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨ FOOT, I'M SURE MY EXPERIENCE WOULD'VE @@¨¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨ BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED. @@@¨¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨ @¨@@¨¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨¨¨@@@¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨@
¨@@¨¨¨@¨@@ ¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨@
¨@@@¨¨¨¨@@ ON THE LAKE, THERE WERE PEOPLE IN ¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨@¨ BOATS. I WONDERED, COULD THEY EVEN SEE ¨¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨ ME? IF I SHOUTED, WOULD THEY TURN TO ¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME? ¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@@
@¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@
@@¨¨¨@¨@@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨
@@@¨¨¨¨@@@ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
@¨@@¨¨¨@¨@ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨@ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨