,,,,,~†§§§ §§§†~,,,,,
,:~;†%§@## ##@§%†;~:,
,:~;†%§@## ##@§%†;~:,
,:~;†%§@## ##@§%†;~:,
,:~†%§@### ###@§%†~:,
,:~~~††††§ ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, §††††~~~:,
,,:::;%§§# 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. §†~,,,,,,,
,:~;†%§§§§ §§§§%†;~:,
,:~;†%§§@# #@§§%†;~:,
,:~;†%§@## ##@§%†;~:,
,:~;†%§@@@ @@@§%†;~:,
:~;†%§@### ###@§%†;~:
,:~;;†††§# #§†††;;~:,