...--†%###                                          ###%†--...
.-~†%%####                                          ####%%†~-.
......-~%#                                          #%~-......
.-~††%%%##                                          ##%%%††~-.
....-†%%##                                          ##%%†-....
.-~†%%####                    ††                    ####%%†~-.
.-~†%%####                   †  †                   ####%%†~-.
.-~†%%#### ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†    †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ####%%†~-.
.-~†%%####                   †  †                   ####%%†~-.
.-~†%%####                    ††                    ####%%†~-.
.....-~%%#                                          #%%~-.....
.--~†%%%##  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.       ##%~-.....
...-~†%%%#                                          #%%%†~-...
....-~†%%#                    ††                    #%%†~-....
...-††††%#                   †  †                   #%††††-...
.-~†%%#### ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~†    †~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ####%%†~-.
.......~%#                   †  †                   #%~.......
...-~†%%##                    ††                    ##%%†~-...
.-~†%%####                                          ####%%†~-.
......-†%#                                          #%†-......
.-~†%%####                                          ####%%†~-.
.-~†%%####                                          ####%%†~-.
....-†%%##                                          ##%%†-....
.-~†%%####                                          ####%%†~-.