,,,«\=$££@                                          @££$=\«,,,
,,«\=$££@#                                          #@££$=\«,,
,«\=$££@##                                          ##@££$=\«,
,,«\=$££@#                                          #@££$=\«,,
,,,«\=$££@                                          @££$=\«,,,
,,,,«\=$££               winds esker                ££$=\«,,,,
,,,,,«\=$£ «««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««««« £$=\«,,,,,
,,,,,,«\=$                                          $=\«,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«\= there was this place that for  two years =\«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,«\ i couldn't  go  to.  regardless how much \«,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,«\= discussed with  others,  or  pointed out =\«,,,,,,,
,,,,,,«\=$ 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?          @££$=\«,,,
,,«\=$££@#                                          #@££$=\«,,
,«\=$££@##                                          ##@££$=\«,
,,«\=$££@#                                          #@££$=\«,,
,,,«\=$££@                                          @££$=\«,,,
,,,,«\=$££                                          ££$=\«,,,,