~^........                                          ........^~
*~^.......                                          .......^~*
§*~^......                                          ......^~*§
$§*~^.....                                          .....^~*§$
§$§*~^....                                          ....^~*§$§
¶§$§*~^...                    $$                    ...^~*§$§¶
#¶§$§*~^..                  $$  $$                  ..^~*§$§¶#
##¶§$§*~^.                  $    $                  .^~*§$§¶##
#¶§$§*~^..                  $$  $$                  ..^~*§$§¶#
¶§$§*~^...                    $$                    ...^~*§$§¶
§$§*~^....                                          ....^~*§$§
$§*~^.....            # #~~~~~~~~~~~# #             .....^~*§$
§*~^......     ## #  # # # FEY BELLS # #  # ## #    ......^~*§
*~^.......             # #~~~~~~~~~~~# #            .......^~*
~^........                                          ........^~
^......... ENVELOP ME IN NOISE... A SANDSTORM OF    .........^
.......... SOUND... AND SURE ENOUGH, BETWEEN THE    ..........
^......... GRAINS THERE ARE CALLS FROM OTHER        .........^
~^........ WORLDS -                                 ........^~
*~^.......                                          .......^~*
§*~^...... DISTANT WAILING SIRENS, COMING CLOSER    ......^~*§
$§*~^..... BUT STAYING OUT OF REACH... TELLING ME   .....^~*§$
§$§*~^.... THAT SOMETHING IS HAPPENING, PERFUMING   ....^~*§$§
¶§$§*~^... ME WITH SOMEONE ELSES EXCITEMENT         ...^~*§$§¶
#¶§$§*~^..                                          ..^~*§$§¶#
##¶§$§*~^. THE PHONE RINGING, A CERTAIN PHONE FROM  .^~*§$§¶##
#¶§$§*~^.. A JOB LONG LOST, URGING FOR SOMEONE TO   ..^~*§$§¶#
¶§$§*~^... PICK UP                                  ...^~*§$§¶
§$§*~^....                                          ....^~*§$§
$§*~^.....                                          .....^~*§$
§*~^...... AND AT TIMES, WHEN I'M ALMOST DROWNING   ......^~*§
*~^....... IN THIS METAPHORICAL SAND, BREATHING     .......^~*
~^........ IT, THE VEIL IS NEXT TO BREACHED... I    ........^~
^......... HEAR FLUTES, SINES, REPEATING THEMES     .........^
.......... LIKE WERE THEY CALLS FROM RUBBERY        ..........
^......... BIRDS... DEAFENINGLY LOUD!               .........^
~^........ BUT LIKE A MIRAGE, CONSTANTLY            ........^~
*~^....... EVAPORATING AND REFORMING.               .......^~*
§*~^...... AND NOT REALLY TOUCHING MY EARDRUMS.     ......^~*§
$§*~^.....                                          .....^~*§$
§$§*~^....                                          ....^~*§$§
¶§$§*~^...                                          ...^~*§$§¶
#¶§$§*~^..                                          ..^~*§$§¶#
##¶§$§*~^.                                          .^~*§$§¶##
#¶§$§*~^..                                          ..^~*§$§¶#