¨¨@¨@¨¨¨¨@ ¨¨¨@¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨ @¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@
¨@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨ @@¨¨¨¨@¨¨@
¨@@@¨¨¨¨@¨ @@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨@ winds esker @¨@@¨¨¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨@
@¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ ¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨
¨@¨¨¨@@@¨¨ there was this place that for two years @¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨
¨¨@¨¨@¨@@¨ i couldn't go to. regardless how much @@¨¨@¨@@¨¨
¨¨¨@¨¨¨@@@ discussed with others, or pointed out ¨@@¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨@ on maps, i could not think of it when ¨@@@¨¨@¨@@
@¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@ alone. i would often travel past the ¨@¨@@¨¨¨@@
@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨@ fork, where a right turn would surely ¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨
@@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨ take me there, but even then, something ¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨
@¨@@¨¨¨¨@¨ kept me away. @¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨@ ¨@¨¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨ when i finally got there, after some ¨¨@¨¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨ heavy subconscious battle i must ¨¨¨@¨¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨@¨@@¨¨ assume, the place was surreal. an ¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨@
¨@@¨¨¨@@@¨ esker, like a needle-thin rift out in ¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@
¨@@@¨¨@¨@@ the lake, but ten meters high and ¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨@@ adorned in birch, willow, bracken, and ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨ blueberries. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@
@¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨ walking atop that spine, i came to @¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨@¨¨¨@¨@@¨ notice the view to either side. there ¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨@@@ should be shores, of course, but i ¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨@¨¨¨@¨@ didn't recognize them. first off, they @¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨@ were much too close, as the lake should ¨@¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@ stretch for a hundred meters more on ¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨ both sides. but now i felt i could ¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨ almost reach out and touch them. and @¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨ then, when i realized which shores they ¨@¨¨¨@¨¨@¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@ were, i had to stop. ¨¨@¨¨¨@¨¨@
@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ @¨¨@¨¨¨@¨¨
¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ they were of the right lake. but this ¨@¨¨@¨¨¨@¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ lake is large, fractured, and ¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨@
@¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨ bipartite. like a pair of lungs carved @¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨
¨@¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨ into the granite, and with no less than ¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨¨
¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨¨ five communities anchored at various ¨¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨ points. and so, studying these @¨¨@¨¨@¨¨@
@¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨ impossibly close shores, i slowly ¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨¨
¨@¨¨¨@¨¨@¨ understood them as belonging many miles ¨¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨
¨¨@¨¨¨@¨¨@ away. ¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨@
@¨¨@¨¨¨@¨¨ ¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨
¨@¨¨@¨¨¨@¨ i examined the ridge, the treeline ¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨
¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨@ above. was this what you saw opposite, ¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨@
@¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨ from those other shores? i couldn't @¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨
¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨¨ remember. ¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨
¨¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨ ¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨@
@¨¨@¨¨@¨¨@ carrying forward, on the very tip of ¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨¨ the esker, i found the ruins of some ¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨@¨¨@¨¨@¨ old building. there were overgrown @¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨@ marble staircases, stone floors beneath @@¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨¨ the moss, and strange slabs inserted ¨@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨ into the slope like dams against the ¨@@@¨¨¨¨@¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨@ ground itself. ¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨@
@¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨ ¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨
¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨ sitting there, i could see across the @¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨@ narrowed lake my entire path to where i ¨@¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨ sat: from the stairwell of my house, ¨¨@¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨ through the old woods behind the tile ¨¨¨@¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨ factory, the bridge over route ¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨ twenty three and then back under it, @¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@
¨@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨ through the fancy villas, over the @@¨¨¨¨@¨¨@
¨@@@¨¨¨¨@¨ fields, and then that right turn at the @@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨@ fork. @¨@@¨¨¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨ ¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨@
@¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ and then the stairs up on the ridge. ¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨
¨@¨¨¨@@@¨¨ thinking back, this was probably it. @¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨
¨¨@¨¨@¨@@¨ hidden in a grove, there were stairs @@¨¨@¨@@¨¨
¨¨¨@¨¨¨@@@ much like the ones i currently sat on, ¨@@¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨@ old and worn down, that lead you up ¨@@@¨¨@¨@@
@¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@ onto the esker. the point of entry. had ¨@¨@@¨¨¨@@
@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨@ i insted opted to walk the path at its ¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨
@@@¨¨¨¨@¨¨ foot, i'm sure my experience would've ¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨
@¨@@¨¨¨¨@¨ been different indeed. @¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨@ ¨@¨¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨@¨¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨@@@¨¨¨ ¨¨¨@¨¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨@¨@@¨¨ on the lake, there were people in ¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨@
¨@@¨¨¨@@@¨ boats. i wondered, could they even see ¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@
¨@@@¨¨@¨@@ me? if i shouted, would they turn to ¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨
¨@¨@@¨¨¨@@ stare right through me? ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨
¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨
¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@
@¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨ @¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨@¨¨¨@¨@@¨ ¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨@@@ ¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨¨