.....~==$$                                          $$==~.....
....~==$$§                                          §$$==~....
...~==$$§@                                          @§$$==~...
..~==$$§@#                                          #@§$$==~..
.~==$$§@##                                          ##@§$$==~.
..~==$$§@#                    ==                    #@§$$==~..
...~==$$§@                   =  =                   @§$$==~...
....~==$$§ ==================    ================== §$$==~....
.....~==$$                   =  =                   $$==~.....
......~==$                    ==                    $==~......
.......~==                                          ==~.......
......~==$  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  $==~......
.....~==$$        UNDERSTAND. LIKE EVERY DAY.       $$==~.....
....~==$$§                                          §$$==~....
...~==$$§@                    ==                    @§$$==~...
..~==$$§@#                   =  =                   #@§$$==~..
.~==$$§@## ==================    ================== ##@§$$==~.
..~==$$§@#                   =  =                   #@§$$==~..
...~==$$§@                    ==                    @§$$==~...
....~==$$§                                          §$$==~....
.....~==$$                                          $$==~.....
......~==$                                          $==~......
.......~==                                          ==~.......
......~==$                                          $==~......
.....~==$$                                          $$==~.....