###§%$=«., ,.«=$%§###
###§%$=«., ,.«=$%§###
#§§§%$=«., ,.«=$%§§§#
#§%$«,,,,, ,,,,,«$%§#
###§%$=«., ,.«=$%§###
###§%$=«., winds esker ,.«=$%§###
###§%$=«., «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« ,.«=$%§###
§%=««.,,,, ,,,,.««=%§
##%==«.,,, 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? ,,,,«=%%##
###§%$=«., ,.«=$%§###
§§%==.,,,, ,,,,.==%§§
###§%$=«., ,.«=$%§###
###§%$=«., ,.«=$%§###
###§%$=«., ,.«=$%§###