###§%*^~..                                          ..~^*%§###
§%***~~...                                          ...~~***%§
§*^~......                                          ......~^*§
#§%%^.....                                          .....^%%§#
###§%*^~..                                          ..~^*%§###
§§§*~.....                    ^^                    .....~*§§§
##§%*~....                   ^  ^                   ....~*%§##
#§%^...... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^    ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ......^%§#
###§%*^~..                   ^  ^                   ..~^*%§###
#§%*~.....                    ^^                    .....~*%§#
###§%*^~..                                          ..~^*%§###
#%^.......  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.       ..~^*%§###
§**^......                                          ......^**§
##%%^~~~..                    ^^                    ..~~~^%%##
##%***^~..                   ^  ^                   ..~^***%##
###§%*^~.. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^    ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ..~^*%§###
§§*^^^....                   ^  ^                   ....^^^*§§
##§§%*^~..                    ^^                    ..~^*%§§##
§***~.....                                          .....~***§
###§%*^~..                                          ..~^*%§###
§§%^~.....                                          .....~^%§§
#§*~......                                          ......~*§#
§%^^......                                          ......^^%§
#%*^......                                          ......^*%#