,,,,,,,,~= =~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~== ==~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~==% %==~,,,,,,
,,,,,~==%% %%==~,,,,,
,,,,~==%%£ £%%==~,,,,
,,,~==%%£@ 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? £%%==~,,,,
,,,~==%%£@ @£%%==~,,,
,,~==%%£@# #@£%%==~,,
,~==%%£@## ##@£%%==~,
,,~==%%£@# #@£%%==~,,
,,,~==%%£@ @£%%==~,,,