###@§%*=~~                                          ~~=*%§@###
##@§%*=~~¨                                          ¨~~=*%§@##
#@§%*=~~¨¨                                          ¨¨~~=*%§@#
@§%*=~~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~~=*%§@
§%*=~~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~~=*%§
%*=~~¨¨¨¨¨                    ==                    ¨¨¨¨¨~~=*%
*=~~¨¨¨¨¨¨                   =  =                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~=*
%*=~~¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=    =~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨~~=*%
§%*=~~¨¨¨¨                   =  =                   ¨¨¨¨~~=*%§
@§%*=~~¨¨¨                    ==                    ¨¨¨~~=*%§@
#@§%*=~~¨¨                                          ¨¨~~=*%§@#
##@§%*=~~¨  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.        ~~=*%§@###
##@§%*=~~¨                                          ¨~~=*%§@##
#@§%*=~~¨¨                    ==                    ¨¨~~=*%§@#
@§%*=~~¨¨¨                   =  =                   ¨¨¨~~=*%§@
§%*=~~¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=    =~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨~~=*%§
%*=~~¨¨¨¨¨                   =  =                   ¨¨¨¨¨~~=*%
*=~~¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ==                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~=*
%*=~~¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨~~=*%
§%*=~~¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨~~=*%§
@§%*=~~¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨~~=*%§@
#@§%*=~~¨¨                                          ¨¨~~=*%§@#
##@§%*=~~¨                                          ¨~~=*%§@##
###@§%*=~~                                          ~~=*%§@###