@¨@@@¨¨¨@¨ @¨¨@@¨@@¨@
¨@@¨¨@¨¨@@ ¨@¨@¨@@¨@@
@@¨@¨@@¨@¨ ¨@@@@@¨@@¨
@¨@@@@¨@@@ @@¨¨¨¨@@¨@
¨@@¨¨¨@@¨¨ @¨@¨¨¨@¨@@
@@¨@¨¨@¨@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨@@@¨¨@@@¨
@¨@@@¨@@@@ 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. ¨@¨@@@@@¨¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨@@ ¨@@@¨¨¨¨@¨
¨¨@@¨¨¨¨@¨ ¨@¨¨@¨¨¨@@
@¨@¨@¨¨¨@@ @@@¨@@¨¨@¨
@@@@@@¨¨@¨ @¨¨@@¨@¨@@
¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@@ ¨@¨@¨@@@@¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨ @@@@@@¨¨¨@