.~«**$@###                                          ###@$**«~.
....~**$##                                          ##$**~....
.~«*$@####                                          ####@$*«~.
.~«**$@###                                          ###@$**«~.
.~««**$$$#                                          #$$$**««~.
....~~**$@                    **                    @$**~~....
.~«**$@###                   *  *                   ###@$**«~.
.~«**$@### «««««««««««««««««*    *««««««««««««««««« ###@$**«~.
...««**$@@                   *  *                   @@$**««...
......«**@                    **                    @**«......
.~«***$@##                                          ##@$***«~.
.....««*$@  in a black rubbery sleep i dream about  @$*««.....
.~«**$@###         cold boiling asphalt and         ###@$**«~.
.~«**$@###        crimson emergency flares...       ###@$**«~.
.~«**$@###                                          ###@$**«~.
....~«***@                    **                    @***«~....
.~«***$$@@ ««««««««««««««««««*  *«««««««««««««««««« @@$$***«~.
.~«****@@@                    **                    @@@****«~.
.~«**$@###                                          ###@$**«~.
.~«**$@###   they were tearing down statues, and    ###@$**«~.
.~«**$@###  bellowing their manifest, in the rain,  ###@$**«~.
.~«**$@###               in the dark,               ###@$**«~.
....~~**@#                                          #@**~~....
....««*$@#     and something followed me out, a     #@$*««....
....~«*$@@  yearning. a memory of being touched by  @@$*«~....
.....~**@#    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   @*«~~.....
.~«**$@###  wane, and i will miss it, and cease to  ###@$**«~.
...~«**$$@        understand. like every day.       @$$**«~...
.~«**$@###                                          ###@$**«~.
....~«*@@#                    **                    #@@*«~....
.....~~*$@                   *  *                   @$*~~.....
.~«**$@### «««««««««««««««««*    *««««««««««««««««« ###@$**«~.
.~~~***$$#                   *  *                   #$$***~~~.
.~««««**@@                    **                    @@**««««~.
.~«*$@####                                          ####@$*«~.
.~«**$@###                                          ###@$**«~.
.~«**$@###                                          ###@$**«~.
.~«**$@###                                          ###@$**«~.
....~***@@                                          @@***~....
.....~«*$@                                          @$*«~.....