#@@@%*=«~.                                          .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..                                          ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~.                                          .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..                                          ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~.                                          .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..                    ==                    ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~.                   =  =                   .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~.. «««««««««««««««««=    =««««««««««««««««« ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~.                   =  =                   .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..                    ==                    ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~.                                          .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..  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.        .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..                                          ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~.                    ==                    .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..                   =  =                   ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~. «««««««««««««««««=    =««««««««««««««««« .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..                   =  =                   ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~.                    ==                    .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..                                          ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~.                                          .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..                                          ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~.                                          .~«=*%@@@#
@@@%*=«~..                                          ..~«=*%@@@
#@@@%*=«~.                                          .~«=*%@@@#