†=~:......                                          ......:~=†
%†=~:.....                                          .....:~=†%
#%†=~:....                                          ....:~=†%#
@#%†=~:...                                          ...:~=†%#@
#@#%†=~:..                                          ..:~=†%#@#
##@#%†=~:.                    ==                    .:~=†%#@##
#@#%†=~:..                   =  =                   ..:~=†%#@#
@#%†=~:... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=    =~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...:~=†%#@
#%†=~:....                   =  =                   ....:~=†%#
%†=~:.....                    ==                    .....:~=†%
†=~:......                                          ......:~=†
=~:.......  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.       ..:~=†%#@#
@#%†=~:...                                          ...:~=†%#@
#%†=~:....                    ==                    ....:~=†%#
%†=~:.....                   =  =                   .....:~=†%
†=~:...... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=    =~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ......:~=†
=~:.......                   =  =                   .......:~=
~:........                    ==                    ........:~
=~:.......                                          .......:~=
†=~:......                                          ......:~=†
%†=~:.....                                          .....:~=†%
#%†=~:....                                          ....:~=†%#
@#%†=~:...                                          ...:~=†%#@
#@#%†=~:..                                          ..:~=†%#@#