,,,,,,,=*% %*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ###= =### ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= # # =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* # TELE MIGRAINE # *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*% # # %*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,=*%% ###= =### %%*=,,,,,,
,,,,,=*%%@ @%%*=,,,,,
,,,,=*%%@@ THE SO CALLED "THIRD MIGRAINE". IT'S @@%%*=,,,,
,,,=*%%@@# LIKE A REGULAR MIGRAINE BUT IT DOES NOT #@@%%*=,,,
,,=*%%@@## HURT THERE'S NO PAIN, THE COSMOS IS ##@@%%*=,,
,,,=*%%@@# THERE AND IT'S DRAINING THE EVIL #@@%%*=,,,
,,,,=*%%@@ STRAIGHT OUT OF THE WOUND. @@%%*=,,,,
,,,,,=*%%@ @%%*=,,,,,
,,,,,,=*%% IT'S MASSAGING YOUR TEMPLES, PIERCING %%*=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*% YOU, ENTERING YOUR BLOOD, CRACKING THE %*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* SKULL OPEN. A PAW GRIPS YOUR BRAIN, *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= PLAYS WITH IT, PULLS IT OUT INTO THE =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, COSMOS. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, THERE'S COMETS! SPACE ODDITIES. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= SOLITARY OSCILLATIONS. CARRIER WAVE. =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* BURNED AWAY BY THE SUNS RADIATION UNTIL *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*% ONLY THE FAINTEST TRACE REMAIN, %*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,=*%% EVENTUALLY CAUGHT IN THE GRAVITY WELL %%*=,,,,,,
,,,,,=*%%@ OF SOME SECOND RATE WATER PLANET. @%%*=,,,,,
,,,,=*%%@@ @@%%*=,,,,
,,,=*%%@@# IT'S RAINING SAP. #@@%%*=,,,
,,=*%%@@## WE'RE GETTING SWEET AND WET ##@@%%*=,,
,,,=*%%@@# #@@%%*=,,,
,,,,=*%%@@ ###= =### @@%%*=,,,,
,,,,,=*%%@ @%%*=,,,,,
,,,,,,=*%% MY LUNCH BREAK IS OVER AND I NEED TO %%*=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*% GET BACK TO THE SHOP. LYNNE IS THERE %*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* ALONE AND HASN'T EATEN YET. I TAKE THE *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= BACK ROUTE UP FROM THE BEACH TO AVOID =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, THE CROWD. SING A LITTLE TO MYSELF. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, LIFE GETS TO PROSPER OUTSIDE OF,@*=== - ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= SUDDENLY, AN ACID FLASHBACK: I STEP =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* DOWN IN MY MIND (LIKE AN OPEN MIND / *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*% FRACTAL STINGER / BISMUTH STAIRCASE) %*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,=*%% AND WADE IN SHADOWS... SURROUNDED BY %%*=,,,,,,
,,,,,=*%%@ MEMORY NEGATIVES, @%%*=,,,,,
,,,,=*%%@@ LIKE UPROCESSED FILM.... @@%%*=,,,,
,,,=*%%@@# #@@%%*=,,,
,,=*%%@@## ###= =### ##@@%%*=,,
,,,=*%%@@# #@@%%*=,,,
,,,,=*%%@@ WE'RE CLOSING FOR THE EVENING. THE SHOP @@%%*=,,,,
,,,,,=*%%@ IS IN THE BOTTOM FLOOR OF A NARROW @%%*=,,,,,
,,,,,,=*%% MUDBRICK BUILDING, PAINTED TEAL. WE %%*=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*% LIVE ON THE SECOND FLOOR, TOGETHER WITH %*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* THE OWNER. AS I CLOSE THE METAL *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= CURTAIN, BEHIND ITS CHARACTERISTIC =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, SHARP RATTLING I CAN HEAR THE ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, CURFEW SIRENS. ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= WORMY STREET WOLVES OUTSIDE, CHASING =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* ENTRANCES IN THE DARK ALLEYWAYS, *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*% WANTING IN, GETTING DESPERATE, LAPSING %*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,=*%% TO SEARCH HIGHER, ON ROOFS, CLIMBING ON %%*=,,,,,,
,,,,,=*%%@ BALCONIES. AND THERE'S BOUND TO BE SOME @%%*=,,,,,
,,,,=*%%@@ RECKLESS TOURIST WHO DIDN'T HEED THE @@%%*=,,,,
,,,=*%%@@# WARNINGS, NEVER CLOSED THEIR WINDOWS... #@@%%*=,,,
,,=*%%@@## ##@@%%*=,,
,,,=*%%@@# OR, IN SOME CASES, THE HOUSEOWNER HAD #@@%%*=,,,
,,,,=*%%@@ THE WINDOW BOLTS WEAKENED, AND WHEN @@%%*=,,,,
,,,,,=*%%@ CLEANING UP THE AFTERMATH WOULD POCKET @%%*=,,,,,
,,,,,,=*%% THEIR BELONGINGS. %%*=,,,,,,
,,,,,,,=*% %*=,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,=* *=,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,= =,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,