,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
=~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=
†=~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=†
$†=~,¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨,~=†$
@$†=~,¨¨¨¨                    ==                    ¨¨¨¨,~=†$@
#@$†=~,¨¨¨                   =  =                   ¨¨¨,~=†$@#
##@$†=~,¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=    =~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨,~=†$@##
###@$†=~,¨                   =  =                   ¨,~=†$@###
##@$†=~,¨¨                    ==                    ¨¨,~=†$@##
#@$†=~,¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨,~=†$@#
@$†=~,¨¨¨¨  IN A BLACK RUBBERY SLEEP I DREAM ABOUT  ¨¨¨¨,~=†$@
$†=~,¨¨¨¨¨         COLD BOILING ASPHALT AND         ¨¨¨¨¨,~=†$
†=~,¨¨¨¨¨¨        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 ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=†
$†=~,¨¨¨¨¨   BE TOO LARGE. ESPECIALLY SINCE I'M IN  ¨¨¨¨¨,~=†$
@$†=~,¨¨¨¨    THE WORK MILL AND THEY'VE GOT THEIR   ¨¨¨¨,~=†$@
#@$†=~,¨¨¨   EYES ON ME ALREADY. THE FEELING WILL   ¨¨¨,~=†$@#
##@$†=~,¨¨  WANE, AND I WILL MISS IT, AND CEASE TO  ¨¨,~=†$@##
###@$†=~,¨       UNDERSTAND. LIKE EVERY DAY.        ¨,~=†$@###
##@$†=~,¨¨                                          ¨¨,~=†$@##
#@$†=~,¨¨¨                    ==                    ¨¨¨,~=†$@#
@$†=~,¨¨¨¨                   =  =                   ¨¨¨¨,~=†$@
$†=~,¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=    =~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨,~=†$
†=~,¨¨¨¨¨¨                   =  =                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=†
=~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ==                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~=
~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,