¨¨¨¨&&¨¨¨¨ &&&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨¨¨&¨&¨¨¨¨ &&&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨¨&&¨&¨¨¨¨ ¨&&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨¨¨¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&&¨&¨&¨¨¨¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨¨¨& 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? &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨&&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&&¨&¨&¨¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨&&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
&&¨&¨&¨¨&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨
¨&¨&¨&¨&&¨ &¨&¨&¨&¨&¨