,,,,,,,,,:                                          :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,:                                          :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~                                          ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~=                                          =~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~=§                    ==                    §=~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~=§£                   =  =                   £§=~:,,,,,
,,,,:~=§£@ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=    =~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ @£§=~:,,,,
,,,:~=§£@£                   =  =                   £@£§=~:,,,
,,:~=§£@£@                    ==                    @£@£§=~:,,
,:~=§£@£@#                                          #@£@£§=~:,
,,:~=§£@£@  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.       £@£§=~:,,,
,,,,:~=§£@                                          @£§=~:,,,,
,,,,,:~=§£                    ==                    £§=~:,,,,,
,,,,,,:~=§                   =  =                   §=~:,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~= ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=    =~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~                   =  =                   ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,:                    ==                    :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,:                                          :,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,:~                                          ~:,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,:~=                                          =~:,,,,,,,
,,,,,,:~=§                                          §=~:,,,,,,
,,,,,:~=§£                                          £§=~:,,,,,