@¨¨¨@¨@¨@@ @¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨¨
¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨@@ @@¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨
¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨@¨ ¨@@¨¨¨¨¨¨@
@¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨@@@¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨@¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨ ¨@¨@@¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨@¨¨@¨¨¨¨ 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? ¨¨¨@¨@@¨¨¨
¨@¨¨@¨@@¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨¨
¨¨@¨¨¨@@@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨@¨@@¨
¨¨¨@¨¨@¨@@ @¨¨¨¨¨¨@@@
@¨¨¨@¨¨¨@@ @@¨¨¨¨¨@¨@
@@¨¨¨@¨¨@¨ @@@¨¨¨¨¨¨@