,,,,~-%§§#                                          #§§%-~,,,,
,~-;%%§@@#                                          #@@§%%;-~,
,~-;%%§@##                                          ##@§%%;-~,
,~-;%%§@##                                          ##@§%%;-~,
,,,~;;%§§§                                          §§§%;;~,,,
,~-;%%§@##                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?         ##@§%%;-~,
,,,,,~~;%§                                          §%;~~,,,,,
,~-;%%§@##                                          ##@§%%;-~,
,,,,,~-;%§                                          §%;-~,,,,,
,,,,,~-%%§                                          §%%-~,,,,,
,~-;%%%%§#                                          #§%%%%;-~,