@@¨@¨@@¨@@ ¨¨@@¨@¨¨¨¨
¨@@@@¨@@¨@ ¨@¨@@@¨¨¨@
@¨¨¨@@¨@@¨ @@@¨¨@¨¨@@
@¨¨@¨@@¨@@ ¨¨@¨@@¨@¨¨
@¨@@@¨@@¨¨ ¨@@@¨@@@¨@
@@¨¨@@¨@¨@ winds esker @¨¨@@¨¨@@¨
¨@¨@¨@@@@@ ---------------------------------------- @¨@¨@¨@¨@@
@@@@@¨¨¨¨¨ @@@@@@@@¨@
¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨ there was this place that for two years ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@¨
¨¨¨@@¨¨¨¨¨ i couldn't go to. regardless how much ¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@¨
¨¨@¨@¨¨¨¨¨ discussed with others, or pointed out ¨¨¨¨¨@@@@¨
¨@@@@¨¨¨¨¨ on maps, i could not think of it when ¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@¨
@¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨ alone. i would often travel past the ¨¨¨@@¨¨@@¨
@¨¨@@¨¨¨¨¨ fork, where a right turn would surely ¨¨@¨@¨@¨@@
@¨@¨@¨¨¨¨¨ take me there, but even then, something ¨@@@@@@@¨¨
@@@@@¨¨¨¨@ kept me away. @¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@
¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@@ @¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨¨@@¨¨@¨@ when i finally got there, after some @¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨
¨¨@¨@¨@@@¨ heavy subconscious battle i must @¨¨¨@@¨@@¨
¨@@@@@¨¨@¨ assume, the place was surreal. an @¨¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨¨¨¨@¨@@@ esker, like a needle-thin rift out in @¨@@@¨@@@¨
@¨¨¨@@@¨¨@ the lake, but ten meters high and @@¨¨@@¨¨@@
@¨¨@¨¨@¨@¨ adorned in birch, willow, bracken, and ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨@@¨@@@@¨ blueberries. @@@@@@@@¨@
@@¨@@¨¨¨@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@¨
¨@@¨@¨¨@@¨ walking atop that spine, i came to ¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@@
@¨@@@¨@¨@@ notice the view to either side. there ¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨@
@@¨¨@@@@¨@ should be shores, of course, but i ¨¨¨¨@¨¨@@¨
¨@¨@¨¨¨@@¨ didn't recognize them. first off, they ¨¨¨@@¨@¨@@
@@@@¨¨@¨@¨ were much too close, as the lake should ¨¨@¨@@@@¨@
¨¨¨@¨@@@@@ stretch for a hundred meters more on ¨@@@¨¨¨@@¨
¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨¨ both sides. but now i felt i could @¨¨@¨¨@¨@¨
¨@¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨ almost reach out and touch them. and @¨@@¨@@@@¨
@@¨@@¨¨¨¨@ then, when i realized which shores they @@¨@@¨¨¨@¨
¨@@¨@¨¨¨@¨ were, i had to stop. ¨@@¨@¨¨@@@
@¨@@@¨¨@@@ @¨@@@¨@¨¨@
@@¨¨@¨@¨¨@ they were of the right lake. but this @@¨¨@@@¨@¨
¨@¨@@@@¨@@ lake is large, fractured, and ¨@¨@¨¨@@@@
@@@¨¨¨@@¨¨ bipartite. like a pair of lungs carved @@@@¨@¨¨¨@
¨¨@¨¨@¨@¨@ into the granite, and with no less than ¨¨¨@@@¨¨@¨
¨@@¨@@@@@@ five communities anchored at various ¨¨@¨¨@¨@@¨
@¨@@¨¨¨¨¨@ points. and so, studying these ¨@@¨@@@¨@¨
@@¨@¨¨¨¨@@ impossibly close shores, i slowly @¨@@¨¨@@@@
¨@@@¨¨¨@¨¨ understood them as belonging many miles @@¨@¨@¨¨¨¨
@¨¨@¨¨@@¨@ away. ¨@@@@@¨¨¨¨
@¨@@¨@¨@@¨ @¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@
@@¨@@@@¨@@ i examined the ridge, the treeline @¨¨¨@@¨¨@¨
¨@@¨¨¨@@¨¨ above. was this what you saw opposite, @¨¨@¨@¨@@@
@¨@¨¨@¨@¨@ from those other shores? i couldn't @¨@@@@@¨¨@
@@@¨@@@@@¨ remember. @@¨¨¨¨@¨@¨
¨¨@@¨¨¨¨@@ ¨@¨¨¨@@@@@
¨@¨@¨¨¨@¨@ carrying forward, on the very tip of @@¨¨@¨¨¨¨@
@@@@¨¨@@@@ the esker, i found the ruins of some ¨@¨@@¨¨¨@@
¨¨¨@¨@¨¨¨@ old building. there were overgrown @@@¨@¨¨@¨¨
¨¨@@@@¨¨@@ marble staircases, stone floors beneath ¨¨@@@¨@@¨¨
¨@¨¨¨@¨@¨¨ the moss, and strange slabs inserted ¨@¨¨@@¨@¨¨
@@¨¨@@@@¨@ into the slope like dams against the @@¨@¨@@@¨¨
¨@¨@¨¨¨@@@ ground itself. ¨@@@@¨¨@¨@
@@@@¨¨@¨¨@ @¨¨¨@¨@@@@
¨¨¨@¨@@¨@@ sitting there, i could see across the @¨¨@@@¨¨¨¨
¨¨@@@¨@@¨@ narrowed lake my entire path to where i @¨@¨¨@¨¨¨¨
¨@¨¨@@¨@@¨ sat: from the stairwell of my house, @@@¨@@¨¨¨¨
@@¨@¨@@¨@@ through the old woods behind the tile ¨¨@@¨@¨¨¨¨
¨@@@@¨@@¨@ factory, the bridge over route ¨@¨@@@¨¨¨@
@¨¨¨@@¨@@¨ twenty three and then back under it, @@@¨¨@¨¨@@
@¨¨@¨@@¨@@ through the fancy villas, over the ¨¨@¨@@¨@¨¨
@¨@@@¨@@¨¨ fields, and then that right turn at the ¨@@@¨@@@¨@
@@¨¨@@¨@¨@ fork. @¨¨@@¨¨@@¨
¨@¨@¨@@@@@ @¨@¨@¨@¨@@
@@@@@¨¨¨¨¨ and then the stairs up on the ridge. @@@@@@@@¨@
¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨ thinking back, this was probably it. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@¨
¨¨¨@@¨¨¨¨¨ hidden in a grove, there were stairs ¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@¨
¨¨@¨@¨¨¨¨¨ much like the ones i currently sat on, ¨¨¨¨¨@@@@¨
¨@@@@¨¨¨¨¨ old and worn down, that lead you up ¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@¨
@¨¨¨@¨¨¨¨¨ onto the esker. the point of entry. had ¨¨¨@@¨¨@@¨
@¨¨@@¨¨¨¨¨ i insted opted to walk the path at its ¨¨@¨@¨@¨@@
@¨@¨@¨¨¨¨¨ foot, i'm sure my experience would've ¨@@@@@@@¨¨
@@@@@¨¨¨¨@ been different indeed. @¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@
¨¨¨¨@¨¨¨@@ @¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨
¨¨¨@@¨¨@¨@ ---------------------------------------- @¨¨¨¨@¨¨@¨
¨¨@¨@¨@@@¨ @¨¨¨@@¨@@¨
¨@@@@@¨¨@¨ on the lake, there were people in @¨¨@¨@@¨@¨
@¨¨¨¨@¨@@@ boats. i wondered, could they even see @¨@@@¨@@@¨
@¨¨¨@@@¨¨@ me? if i shouted, would they turn to @@¨¨@@¨¨@@
@¨¨@¨¨@¨@¨ stare right through me? ¨@¨@¨@¨@¨¨
@¨@@¨@@@@¨ @@@@@@@@¨@
@@¨@@¨¨¨@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨@@¨
¨@@¨@¨¨@@¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨@¨@@
@¨@@@¨@¨@@ ¨¨¨¨¨@@@¨@
@@¨¨@@@@¨@ ¨¨¨¨@¨¨@@¨