,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=: :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:$ $:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^=:$¤ ###= =### ¤$:=^,,,,,
,,,,^=:$¤# # # #¤$:=^,,,,
,,,^=:$¤## # TELE MIGRAINE # ##¤$:=^,,,
,,^=:$¤### # # ###¤$:=^,,
,^=:$¤#### ###= =### ####¤$:=^,
,,^=:$¤### ###¤$:=^,,
,,,^=:$¤## THE SO CALLED "THIRD MIGRAINE". IT'S ##¤$:=^,,,
,,,,^=:$¤# LIKE A REGULAR MIGRAINE BUT IT DOES NOT #¤$:=^,,,,
,,,,,^=:$¤ HURT THERE'S NO PAIN, THE COSMOS IS ¤$:=^,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:$ THERE AND IT'S DRAINING THE EVIL $:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=: STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WOUND. :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ IT'S MASSAGING YOUR TEMPLES, PIERCING ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, YOU, ENTERING YOUR BLOOD, CRACKING THE ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, SKULL OPEN. A PAW GRIPS YOUR BRAIN, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, PLAYS WITH IT, PULLS IT OUT INTO THE ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ COSMOS. ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=: THERE'S COMETS! SPACE ODDITIES. :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:$ SOLITARY OSCILLATIONS. CARRIER WAVE. $:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^=:$¤ BURNED AWAY BY THE SUNS RADIATION UNTIL ¤$:=^,,,,,
,,,,^=:$¤# ONLY THE FAINTEST TRACE REMAIN, #¤$:=^,,,,
,,,^=:$¤## EVENTUALLY CAUGHT IN THE GRAVITY WELL ##¤$:=^,,,
,,^=:$¤### OF SOME SECOND RATE WATER PLANET. ###¤$:=^,,
,^=:$¤#### ####¤$:=^,
,,^=:$¤### IT'S RAINING SAP. ###¤$:=^,,
,,,^=:$¤## WE'RE GETTING SWEET AND WET ##¤$:=^,,,
,,,,^=:$¤# #¤$:=^,,,,
,,,,,^=:$¤ ###= =### ¤$:=^,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:$ $:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=: MY LUNCH BREAK IS OVER AND I NEED TO :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= GET BACK TO THE SHOP. LYNNE IS THERE =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ALONE AND HASN'T EATEN YET. I TAKE THE ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, BACK ROUTE UP FROM THE BEACH TO AVOID ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, THE CROWD. SING A LITTLE TO MYSELF. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ LIFE GETS TO PROSPER OUTSIDE OF,#:=== - ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= SUDDENLY, AN ACID FLASHBACK: I STEP =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=: DOWN IN MY MIND (LIKE AN OPEN MIND / :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:$ FRACTAL STINGER / BISMUTH STAIRCASE) $:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^=:$¤ AND WADE IN SHADOWS... SURROUNDED BY ¤$:=^,,,,,
,,,,^=:$¤# MEMORY NEGATIVES, #¤$:=^,,,,
,,,^=:$¤## LIKE UPROCESSED FILM.... ##¤$:=^,,,
,,^=:$¤### ###¤$:=^,,
,^=:$¤#### ###= =### ####¤$:=^,
,,^=:$¤### ###¤$:=^,,
,,,^=:$¤## WE'RE CLOSING FOR THE EVENING. THE SHOP ##¤$:=^,,,
,,,,^=:$¤# IS IN THE BOTTOM FLOOR OF A NARROW #¤$:=^,,,,
,,,,,^=:$¤ MUDBRICK BUILDING, PAINTED TEAL. WE ¤$:=^,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:$ LIVE ON THE SECOND FLOOR, TOGETHER WITH $:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=: THE OWNER. AS I CLOSE THE METAL :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= CURTAIN, BEHIND ITS CHARACTERISTIC =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ SHARP RATTLING I CAN HEAR THE ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, CURFEW SIRENS. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, WORMY STREET WOLVES OUTSIDE, CHASING ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,^ ENTRANCES IN THE DARK ALLEYWAYS, ^,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= WANTING IN, GETTING DESPERATE, LAPSING =^,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=: TO SEARCH HIGHER, ON ROOFS, CLIMBING ON :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:$ BALCONIES. AND THERE'S BOUND TO BE SOME $:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,^=:$¤ RECKLESS TOURIST WHO DIDN'T HEED THE ¤$:=^,,,,,
,,,,^=:$¤# WARNINGS, NEVER CLOSED THEIR WINDOWS... #¤$:=^,,,,
,,,^=:$¤## ##¤$:=^,,,
,,^=:$¤### OR, IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSEOWNER HAD ###¤$:=^,,
,^=:$¤#### THE WINDOW BOLTS WEAKENED, AND WHEN ####¤$:=^,
,,^=:$¤### CLEANING UP THE AFTERMATH WOULD POCKET ###¤$:=^,,
,,,^=:$¤## THEIR BELONGINGS. ##¤$:=^,,,
,,,,^=:$¤# #¤$:=^,,,,
,,,,,^=:$¤ ¤$:=^,,,,,
,,,,,,^=:$ $:=^,,,,,,
,,,,,,,^=: :=^,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,^= =^,,,,,,,,