##@*%:~~,, ,,~~:%*@## ###@*%:~~, ,~~:%*@### ##@*%:~~,, ,,~~:%*@## #@*%:~~,,, ,,,~~:%*@# @*%:~~,,,, ,,,,~~:%*@ #@*%:~~,,, :: ,,,~~:%*@# ##@*%:~~,, : : ,,~~:%*@## ###@*%:~~, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~: :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,~~:%*@### ##@*%:~~,, : : ,,~~:%*@## #@*%:~~,,, :: ,,,~~:%*@# @*%:~~,,,, ,,,,~~:%*@ #@*%:~~,,, IN A BLACK RUBBERY SLEEP I DREAM ABOUT ,,,~~:%*@# ##@*%:~~,, COLD BOILING ASPHALT AND ,,~~:%*@## ###@*%:~~, CRIMSON EMERGENCY FLARES... ,~~:%*@### ##@*%:~~,, ,,~~:%*@## #@*%:~~,,, :: ,,,~~:%*@# @*%:~~,,,, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~: :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,,,~~:%*@ #@*%:~~,,, :: ,,,~~:%*@# ##@*%:~~,, ,,~~:%*@## ###@*%:~~, THEY WERE TEARING DOWN STATUES, AND ,~~:%*@### ##@*%:~~,, BELLOWING THEIR MANIFEST, IN THE RAIN, ,,~~:%*@## #@*%:~~,,, IN THE DARK, ,,,~~:%*@# @*%:~~,,,, ,,,,~~:%*@ #@*%:~~,,, AND SOMETHING FOLLOWED ME OUT, A ,,,~~:%*@# ##@*%:~~,, YEARNING. A MEMORY OF BEING TOUCHED BY ,,~~:%*@## ###@*%:~~, A RAY FROM A RASPBERRY SUN. STILL ,~~:%*@### ##@*%:~~,, THERE, EVERYTHING WOULD BE GRITTY AND ,,~~:%*@## #@*%:~~,,, FULL OF TAR. RAIN UPON IT. BUT THEN A ,,,~~:%*@# @*%:~~,,,, FEW BRIGHT AND COLORFUL ANOMALIES. AND ,,,,~~:%*@ #@*%:~~,,, A PROMISE FOR MORE. ,,,~~:%*@# ##@*%:~~,, ,,~~:%*@## ###@*%:~~, LIKE WAKING UP WITH A BUSINESS CARD IN ,~~:%*@### ##@*%:~~,, YOUR POCKET... ,,~~:%*@## #@*%:~~,,, ,,,~~:%*@# @*%:~~,,,, A FEATHER BOA WRAPPED AROUND A VELVET ,,,,~~:%*@ #@*%:~~,,, LIZARD, SURFACING FOR MILLISECONDS AT A ,,,~~:%*@# ##@*%:~~,, TIME, CALLING, TUGGING AT MY ARMS. ,,~~:%*@## ###@*%:~~, BEGGING ME TO SINK BACK DOWN AND BE ,~~:%*@### ##@*%:~~,, WITH THEM, WITH THEIR KIND. EASY TO GET ,,~~:%*@## #@*%:~~,,, WASHED AWAY FROM THE TETHER, FROM THE ,,,~~:%*@# @*%:~~,,,, WAY BACK UP. ,,,,~~:%*@ #@*%:~~,,, ,,,~~:%*@# ##@*%:~~,, ,,~~:%*@## ###@*%:~~, BUT I CANNOT GO. THE CONSEQUENCES WOULD ,~~:%*@### ##@*%:~~,, BE TOO LARGE. ESPECIALLY SINCE I'M IN ,,~~:%*@## #@*%:~~,,, THE WORK MILL AND THEY'VE GOT THEIR ,,,~~:%*@# @*%:~~,,,, EYES ON ME ALREADY. THE FEELING WILL ,,,,~~:%*@ #@*%:~~,,, WANE, AND I WILL MISS IT, AND CEASE TO ,,,~~:%*@# ##@*%:~~,, UNDERSTAND. LIKE EVERY DAY. ,,~~:%*@## ###@*%:~~, ,~~:%*@### ##@*%:~~,, :: ,,~~:%*@## #@*%:~~,,, : : ,,,~~:%*@# @*%:~~,,,, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~: :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,,,~~:%*@ #@*%:~~,,, : : ,,,~~:%*@# ##@*%:~~,, :: ,,~~:%*@## ###@*%:~~, ,~~:%*@### ##@*%:~~,, ,,~~:%*@## #@*%:~~,,, ,,,~~:%*@# @*%:~~,,,, ,,,,~~:%*@ #@*%:~~,,, ,,,~~:%*@# ##@*%:~~,, ,,~~:%*@##