,~~†**§§§#                                          #§§§**†~~,
,,,,~~~~*§                                          §*~~~~,,,,
,,,,~††*§#                                          #§*††~,,,,
,~~†**§###                                          ###§**†~~,
,,,,,,~†*§                                          §*†~,,,,,,
,,,,,,~~*§             ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,             §*~~,,,,,,
,~~†**§###             THE ALVAR FIELDS             ###§**†~~,
,,,,,~~*§#             ***##########***             #§*~~,,,,,
,,,,~†**§#                                          #§**†~,,,,
,,,,,,~~*§ FROM   NORTH  TO   SOUTH,   THIRTY   ODD §*~~,,,,,,
,~~†**§### KILOMETERS.  FROM  WEST  TO  EAST,  FOUR ###§**†~~,
,~~†**§### THOUSAND METERS.  FROM TOPSOIL TO STONE, ###§**†~~,
,,~~~††**# A  FOOT OR  TWO. NO ROOTS CAN FESTER, NO #**††~~~,,
,~~†**§###             DUST CAN LINGER.             ###§**†~~,
,,,,,~†*§§                                          §§*†~,,,,,
,,,,,~~†*§ HERE  IS  EARTH,  CLAY,  AND  STURDY LOW §*†~~,,,,,
,~~†**§### PLANTS.  BUSHES  FRAME  THE  STRIP.  THE ###§**†~~,
,~~†**§### EARTH IS BARE  IN  PATCHES AS  LARGE  AS ###§**†~~,
,~~†**§###               YOU AND ME.                ###§**†~~,
,~~†***§##                                          ##§***†~~,
,~~†**§§## CROSS IT  TO GET  TO THE OCEAN, OR DON'T ##§§**†~~,
,,,,,,~†*#          TO STAY WHERE YOU ARE.          #*†~,,,,,,
,,,~~~†*§§                                          §§*†~~~,,,
,,,,~†††*§                                          §*†††~,,,,
,~~†**§###                                          ###§**†~~,
,,,,~††**#                                          #**††~,,,,
,~~†**§###                                          ###§**†~~,
,~~†**§###                                          ###§**†~~,