££,,,££,££                                          ,£,,,££,££
,,£,,£,££,                                          ,££,,£,££,
,,££,£££,£                                          ,£,£,£££,£
£,£,££,,££                                          ,£££££,,££
,££££,£,£,                                          ,£,,,,£,£,
,£,,,£££££                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?          ,,,,,,£,£,
,,£,£,££,£                                          ,,,,,,££££
£,£££££,££                                          £,,,,,£,,,
£££,,,,££,                                          ,£,,,,££,,
£,,£,,,£,£                                          ,££,,,£,£,
££,££,,£££                                          ,£,£,,££££