¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@ @@@@@@@@¨¨
@@@@@@¨¨@@ @@@@@@@¨¨@
@@@@@¨¨¨¨@ @@@@@@¨¨¨¨
¨@@@¨¨@@¨¨ @@@@@¨¨@@¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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? @¨¨¨¨@@@@@
@@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨@@¨¨@@@@
@¨¨@@@@@@¨ @¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@
¨¨¨¨@@@@¨¨ ¨¨@@@@¨¨@@
¨@@¨¨@@¨¨¨ ¨¨¨@@¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@ @@¨¨¨¨@@@@