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