,,^~†=$###                                          ###$=†~^,,
,^~†=$####                                          ####$=†~^,
,,^~†=$###                                          ###$=†~^,,
,,,^~†=$##                                          ##$=†~^,,,
,,,,^~†=$#                                          #$=†~^,,,,
,,,,,^~†=$               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?          #$=†~^,,,,
,,,,,^~†=$                                          $=†~^,,,,,
,,,,,,^~†=                                          =†~^,,,,,,
,,,,,^~†=$                                          $=†~^,,,,,
,,,,^~†=$#                                          #$=†~^,,,,
,,,^~†=$##                                          ##$=†~^,,,