....-~:$§&                                          &§$:~-....
...-~:$§&@                                          @&§$:~-...
..-~:$§&@#                                          #@&§$:~-..
.-~:$§&@##                                          ##@&§$:~-.
..-~:$§&@#                                          #@&§$:~-..
...-~:$§&@                    ::                    @&§$:~-...
....-~:$§&                   :  :                   &§$:~-....
.....-~:$§ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:    :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ §$:~-.....
......-~:$                   :  :                   $:~-......
.......-~:                    ::                    :~-.......
........-~                                          ~-........
.......-~:  IN A BLACK RUBBERY SLEEP I DREAM ABOUT  :~-.......
......-~:$         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.        &§$:~-....
.....-~:$§                                          §$:~-.....
......-~:$                    ::                    $:~-......
.......-~:                   :  :                   :~-.......
........-~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:    :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~-........
.......-~:                   :  :                   :~-.......
......-~:$                    ::                    $:~-......
.....-~:$§                                          §$:~-.....
....-~:$§&                                          &§$:~-....
...-~:$§&@                                          @&§$:~-...
..-~:$§&@#                                          #@&§$:~-..
.-~:$§&@##                                          ##@&§$:~-.
..-~:$§&@#                                          #@&§$:~-..