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¨,«=$@@@##  in a black rubbery sleep i dream about  ##@@@$=«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«$@         cold boiling asphalt and         @$«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«=$$$@@@       crimson emergency flares...        @@@$$$=«,¨
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¨,«=$*@@@@                                          @@@@*$=«,¨
¨,«=$*@@@@    they were tearing down statues, and   @@@@*$=«,¨
¨,«=$*@@@@  bellowing their manifest, in the rain,  @@@@*$=«,¨
¨,«=$*@@##               in the dark,               ##@@*$=«,¨
¨,«««==*@@                                          @@*==«««,¨
¨,«=$*@@@#     and something followed me out, a     #@@@*$=«,¨
¨¨¨,=$**@@  yearning. a memory of being touched by  @@**$=,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,=*@    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 @@*====«,¨
¨¨¨¨,«=$*@   washed away from the tether, from the  @*$=«,¨¨¨¨
¨,«=$*@@##               way back up.               ##@@*$=«,¨
¨,«=$*@@@#                                          #@@@*$=«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,=**@                                          @**=,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«=$*@@@# but i cannot go. the consequences would  #@@@*$=«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«$@@   be too large. especially since i'm in  @@$«,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«==$$@@@   the work mill and they've got their    @@@$$==«,¨
¨,««=$**@@   eyes on me already. the feeling will   @@**$=««,¨
¨,,««$$*@@  wane, and i will miss it, and cease to  @@*$$««,,¨
¨,«=$**@@@        understand. like every day.       @@@**$=«,¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨,=*@                                          @*=,¨¨¨¨¨¨