..~\%%&¶## ##¶&%%\~..
...~\%%&¶# #¶&%%\~...
....~\%%&¶ ¶&%%\~....
.....~\%%& &%%\~.....
......~\%% %%\~......
.......~\% \\ %\~.......
........~\ \ \ \~........
.........~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\ \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~.........
.......... \ \ ..........
.......... \\ ..........
.......... ..........
.........~ 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. \~........
.......~\% %\~.......
......~\%% \\ %%\~......
.....~\%%& \ \ &%%\~.....
....~\%%&¶ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\ \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¶&%%\~....
...~\%%&¶# \ \ #¶&%%\~...
..~\%%&¶## \\ ##¶&%%\~..
...~\%%&¶# #¶&%%\~...
....~\%%&¶ ¶&%%\~....
.....~\%%& &%%\~.....
......~\%% %%\~......
.......~\% %\~.......
........~\ \~........