*%:=-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-=:%*
%:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-=:%
:=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=:
=-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-=
-¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨-
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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? ¨¨¨-=:%*@#
##@*%:=-¨¨ ¨¨-=:%*@##
###@*%:=-¨ ¨-=:%*@###
##@*%:=-¨¨ ¨¨-=:%*@##
#@*%:=-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-=:%*@#
@*%:=-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-=:%*@