##¤§%^~:,,                                          ,,:~^%§¤##
###¤§%^~:,                                          ,:~^%§¤###
##¤§%^~:,,                                          ,,:~^%§¤##
#¤§%^~:,,,                                          ,,,:~^%§¤#
¤§%^~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~^%§¤
§%^~:,,,,,                    ^^                    ,,,,,:~^%§
%^~:,,,,,,                   ^  ^                   ,,,,,,:~^%
^~:,,,,,,, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^    ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,,,,,,:~^
%^~:,,,,,,                   ^  ^                   ,,,,,,:~^%
§%^~:,,,,,                    ^^                    ,,,,,:~^%§
¤§%^~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~^%§¤
#¤§%^~:,,,  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.        ,,:~^%§¤##
###¤§%^~:,                                          ,:~^%§¤###
##¤§%^~:,,                    ^^                    ,,:~^%§¤##
#¤§%^~:,,,                   ^  ^                   ,,,:~^%§¤#
¤§%^~:,,,, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^    ^~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ,,,,:~^%§¤
§%^~:,,,,,                   ^  ^                   ,,,,,:~^%§
%^~:,,,,,,                    ^^                    ,,,,,,:~^%
^~:,,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,:~^
%^~:,,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,:~^%
§%^~:,,,,,                                          ,,,,,:~^%§
¤§%^~:,,,,                                          ,,,,:~^%§¤
#¤§%^~:,,,                                          ,,,:~^%§¤#
##¤§%^~:,,                                          ,,:~^%§¤##