##¶&*^:«.¨                                          ¨.«:^*&¶##
#¶&*^:«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«:^*&¶#
¶&*^:«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«:^*&¶
&*^:«.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.«:^*&
*^:«.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.«:^*
^:«.¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ::                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«:^
:«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   :  :                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«:
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ «««««««««««««««««:    :««««««««««««««««« ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   :  :                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ::                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨  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.       ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ::                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   :  :                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ «««««««««««««««««:    :««««««««««««««««« ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.
«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                   :  :                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«
:«.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                    ::                    ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.«:
^:«.¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨.«:^
*^:«.¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨.«:^*
&*^:«.¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨.«:^*&
¶&*^:«.¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨.«:^*&¶
#¶&*^:«.¨¨                                          ¨¨.«:^*&¶#
##¶&*^:«.¨                                          ¨.«:^*&¶##