†/~^,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,^~/†
/~^,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,^~/
~^,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,^~
^,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,^
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                    //                    ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                   /  /                   ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/    /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                   /  /                   ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                    //                    ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
^,,,,,,,,,  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.        ,,,,,,^~/†
/~^,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,^~/
~^,,,,,,,,                    //                    ,,,,,,,,^~
^,,,,,,,,,                   /  /                   ,,,,,,,,,^
,,,,,,,,,, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/    /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                   /  /                   ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                    //                    ,,,,,,,,,,
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^,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,^
~^,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,^~