.....^~:=& &=:~^.....
....^~:=&§ §&=:~^....
...^~:=&§@ @§&=:~^...
..^~:=&§@# #@§&=:~^..
.^~:=&§@## ##@§&=:~^.
..^~:=&§@# :: #@§&=:~^..
...^~:=&§@ : : @§&=:~^...
....^~:=&§ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~: :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ §&=:~^....
.....^~:=& : : &=:~^.....
......^~:= :: =:~^......
.......^~: :~^.......
........^~ 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. @§&=:~^...
....^~:=&§ §&=:~^....
.....^~:=& :: &=:~^.....
......^~:= : : =:~^......
.......^~: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~: :~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ :~^.......
........^~ : : ~^........
.......^~: :: :~^.......
......^~:= =:~^......
.....^~:=& &=:~^.....
....^~:=&§ §&=:~^....
...^~:=&§@ @§&=:~^...
..^~:=&§@# #@§&=:~^..
.^~:=&§@## ##@§&=:~^.