¨~-/%$@@## ##@@$%/-~¨
¨~-/%$@@## ##@@$%/-~¨
¨¨~~~~-/$@ @$/-~~~~¨¨
¨~-/%$@@## ##@@$%/-~¨
¨~-/%$@@## ##@@$%/-~¨
¨~-/%%%%$@ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ @$%%%%/-~¨
¨~-/%$@@@# the alvar fields #@@@$%/-~¨
¨¨¨¨¨-/$@@ $$$##########$$$ @@$/-¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~--%%@ @%%--~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨~--%@ from north to south, thirty odd @%--~¨¨¨¨¨
¨~-/%$@@## kilometers. from west to east, four ##@@$%/-~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨-%@@ thousand meters. from topsoil to stone, @@%-¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨~---/%%$@ a foot or two. no roots can fester, no @$%%/---~¨
¨~-/%$@### dust can linger. ###@$%/-~¨
¨~-/%$@@## ##@@$%/-~¨
¨~-/%$@### here is earth, clay, and sturdy low ###@$%/-~¨
¨~-/%$@@@@ plants. bushes frame the strip. the @@@@$%/-~¨
¨¨¨~-%$$@# earth is bare in patches as large as #@$$%-~¨¨¨
¨~-////$@@ you and me. @@$////-~¨
¨¨~~--/%%@ @%%/--~~¨¨
¨~-/%$@@## cross it to get to the ocean, or don't ##@@$%/-~¨
¨¨¨~~/%@@@ to stay where you are. @@@%/~~¨¨¨
¨~-/%$@@## ##@@$%/-~¨
¨~-/%$@@@@ @@@@$%/-~¨
¨~-/%$@@## ##@@$%/-~¨
¨¨¨¨~~-%@# #@%-~~¨¨¨¨
¨~-/%$@@## ##@@$%/-~¨
¨¨~~~//$@# #@$//~~~¨¨