£¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨£
¨¨£££££££¨ ¨£££££££¨¨
£¨¨£££££¨¨ ¨¨£££££¨¨£
¨¨¨¨£££¨¨¨ ¨¨¨£££¨¨¨¨
£££¨¨£¨¨££ ££¨¨£¨¨£££
££¨¨¨¨¨¨¨£ 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? ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££
££££££££££ ££££££££££