#@¤%†:~,..                                          ..,~:†%¤@#
##@¤%†:~,.                                          .,~:†%¤@##
#@¤%†:~,..                                          ..,~:†%¤@#
@¤%†:~,...                                          ...,~:†%¤@
¤%†:~,....                                          ....,~:†%¤
%†:~,.....                    ::                    .....,~:†%
†:~,......                   :  :                   ......,~:†
:~,....... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:    :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .......,~:
~,........                   :  :                   ........,~
,.........                    ::                    .........,
..........                                          ..........
..........  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.       ....,~:†%¤
%†:~,.....                                          .....,~:†%
†:~,......                    ::                    ......,~:†
:~,.......                   :  :                   .......,~:
~,........ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:    :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ........,~
,.........                   :  :                   .........,
..........                    ::                    ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
..........                                          ..........
,.........                                          .........,
~,........                                          ........,~