#$*†~-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-~†*$#
##$*†~-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-~†*$##
###$*†~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~†*$###
####$*†~-¨                                          ¨-~†*$####
###$*†~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~†*$###
##$*†~-¨¨¨                    ††                    ¨¨¨-~†*$##
#$*†~-¨¨¨¨                   †  †                   ¨¨¨¨-~†*$#
$*†~-¨¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†    †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨¨-~†*$
*†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨                   †  †                   ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†*
$*†~-¨¨¨¨¨                    ††                    ¨¨¨¨¨-~†*$
#$*†~-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-~†*$#
##$*†~-¨¨¨  IN A BLACK RUBBERY SLEEP I DREAM ABOUT  ¨¨¨-~†*$##
###$*†~-¨¨         COLD BOILING ASPHALT AND         ¨¨-~†*$###
####$*†~-¨        CRIMSON EMERGENCY FLARES...       ¨-~†*$####
###$*†~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~†*$###
##$*†~-¨¨¨                    ††                    ¨¨¨-~†*$##
#$*†~-¨¨¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†  †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨¨¨-~†*$#
$*†~-¨¨¨¨¨                    ††                    ¨¨¨¨¨-~†*$
*†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†*
$*†~-¨¨¨¨¨    THEY WERE TEARING DOWN STATUES, AND   ¨¨¨¨¨-~†*$
#$*†~-¨¨¨¨  BELLOWING THEIR MANIFEST, IN THE RAIN,  ¨¨¨¨-~†*$#
##$*†~-¨¨¨               IN THE DARK,               ¨¨¨-~†*$##
###$*†~-¨¨                                          ¨¨-~†*$###
####$*†~-¨     AND SOMETHING FOLLOWED ME OUT, A     ¨-~†*$####
###$*†~-¨¨  YEARNING. A MEMORY OF BEING TOUCHED BY  ¨¨-~†*$###
##$*†~-¨¨¨     A RAY FROM A RASPBERRY SUN. STILL    ¨¨¨-~†*$##
#$*†~-¨¨¨¨  THERE, EVERYTHING WOULD BE GRITTY AND   ¨¨¨¨-~†*$#
$*†~-¨¨¨¨¨   FULL OF TAR. RAIN UPON IT. BUT THEN A  ¨¨¨¨¨-~†*$
*†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨  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.        ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†*
$*†~-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-~†*$
#$*†~-¨¨¨¨                    ††                    ¨¨¨¨-~†*$#
##$*†~-¨¨¨                   †  †                   ¨¨¨-~†*$##
###$*†~-¨¨ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†    †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¨¨-~†*$###
####$*†~-¨                   †  †                   ¨-~†*$####
###$*†~-¨¨                    ††                    ¨¨-~†*$###
##$*†~-¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨-~†*$##
#$*†~-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-~†*$#
$*†~-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-~†*$
*†~-¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨-~†*
$*†~-¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨-~†*$
#$*†~-¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨-~†*$#