#@#§§^\=,.                                          .,=\^§§#@#
@#§§^\=,..                                          ..,=\^§§#@
#§§^\=,...                                          ...,=\^§§#
§§^\=,....                                          ....,=\^§§
§^\=,.....                                          .....,=\^§
^\=,......                    \\                    ......,=\^
§^\=,.....                   \  \                   .....,=\^§
§§^\=,.... =================\    \================= ....,=\^§§
#§§^\=,...                   \  \                   ...,=\^§§#
@#§§^\=,..                    \\                    ..,=\^§§#@
#@#§§^\=,.                                          .,=\^§§#@#
@#§§^\=,..  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.       ...,=\^§§#
@#§§^\=,..                                          ..,=\^§§#@
#@#§§^\=,.                    \\                    .,=\^§§#@#
@#§§^\=,..                   \  \                   ..,=\^§§#@
#§§^\=,... =================\    \================= ...,=\^§§#
§§^\=,....                   \  \                   ....,=\^§§
§^\=,.....                    \\                    .....,=\^§
^\=,......                                          ......,=\^
§^\=,.....                                          .....,=\^§
§§^\=,....                                          ....,=\^§§
#§§^\=,...                                          ...,=\^§§#
@#§§^\=,..                                          ..,=\^§§#@
#@#§§^\=,.                                          .,=\^§§#@#