@&§†«.....                                          .....«†§&@
@@&§§=†«-.                                          .-«†=§§&@@
###&§=†«-.                                          .-«†=§&###
&=††-.....                                          .....-††=&
##@&§=†«-.                                          .-«†=§&@##
#@&§§=†«-.                    ††                    .-«†=§§&@#
&=†«......                   †  †                   ......«†=&
@§§††-.... «««««««««««««««««†    †««««««««««««««««« ....-††§§@
#&§†«««...                   †  †                   ...«««†§&#
&&=««-....                    ††                    ....-««=&&
@@&&§=†«-.                                          .-«†=§&&@@
##@&§=†«-.  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.       .....«†§§@
##@&§=†«-.                                          .-«†=§&@##
#&§==«....                    ††                    ....«==§&#
@@&§§=†«-.                   †  †                   .-«†=§§&@@
##@&§=†«-. «««««««««««««««««†    †««««««««««««««««« .-«†=§&@##
@@§§§=†«-.                   †  †                   .-«†=§§§@@
@§†«......                    ††                    ......«†§@
#@@&§=†«-.                                          .-«†=§&@@#
&§==†«««-.                                          .-«««†==§&
##@&§=†«-.                                          .-«†=§&@##
&§==«-....                                          ....-«==§&
@&§==«--..                                          ..--«==§&@
###&§=†«-.                                          .-«†=§&###