~~~~
~~~ ~~~
^~ ~^
.....&&..& ............ ^ ^ ............ ....&&....
&&&&...... ^~ ~^ .&&....&&&
&&&..&&&&& ~~~ ~~~ ....&&..&&
&&....&&&. ~~~~ .&&......&
&..&&..&.. ....&&&&..
.......... The River That'S Our River Makes A .&&..&&...
&&&&&&&&&& Large Bend Like A Scooping Hand And A ........&&
&&&&&&&&&. Decent Days Travel North From That &&&&&&&..&
&&&&&&&&.. Stands Our House In The Middle Of A &&&&&&....
.&&&&&&... Forgotten Apple Orchard. Our House Is &&&&&..&&.
..&&&&..&& Built Of Dark Clay And Abandoned By A &&&&......
&..&&..... Stranger. The Window Has No Glass But &&&..&&&&&
......&&&& Instead Steel Bars To Keep The Animals &&....&&&&
.&&&&..&&. Out. ...&&..&&.
..&&...... &&........
&....&&&&. Around The House Is A Thick, Thick &..&&&&&&&
..&&..&&.. Brush Of Ferns And Bushes. There Live ....&&&&&&
.......... The Animals That We Fight To Keep Away, .&&..&&&&.
&&&&&&&&&& For They Speak To Us To Join Them In ......&&..
.&&&&&&&&& The Luscious Caves Below Ground. They .&&&&.....
..&&&&&&&& Mean No Harm But It Is Not In Our Best ..&&..&&&&
...&&&&&&& Interest To Do So. There Is Important &......&&.
&&..&&&&&& Work That Needs To Be Done, And It Cant ..&&&&....
.....&&&&& Be Done By Animals. (Father Says This.) &..&&..&&.
&&&&..&&&& ..........
.&&....&&& Every Morning Our Father Clears The .&&&&&&&&.
....&&..&. Ferns And Uproots The Bushes Only For ..&&&&&&..
&&&....... Them To Grow Back Each Night. Their &..&&&&..&
&&..&&&&&& Leaves Are Teal, White And Yellow, Some ....&&....
.....&&&&& Even The Color Of Wine. They Have Lilac &&&....&&.
&&&&..&&&. Flowers And In The Morning They Are Wet &&..&&....
.&&....&.. With Dew. .......&&.
....&&.... &&&&&&....
&&&....&&& Father Is Away During The Day Doing .&&&&..&&&
&&..&&..&. Important Things Elsewhere. He Is Weary ..&&....&&
&......... When He Returns Home, Each Day More So .....&&..&
..&&&&&&&. Than The Next. We Learn To Cook For Him &&&&......
&..&&&&&.. So That He Does Not Have To. We Tend To &&&..&&&&&
....&&&... His Clothes. &&....&&&&
.&&..&..&& &..&&..&&.
.......... Suddenly The Dense Bushwork Is Mirrored ..........
&&&&&&&&&& Inside. Stems And Leaves Appear Close &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& To The Walls And Far From The Light. We &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Are Glad, For The Flowers Are Beautiful &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& And Smell Good, And There Is Little &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Decoration In Our House. But When &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Father Comes Home He Is Angry And Cuts &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Them All Down In A Frenzy. We Are &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Scared Of Him Then. &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& We Are Then Tasked With Removing Any &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Indoor Plant We See. But They Are So &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Beautiful! We Wait Just Until Father &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Comes Home And Until Then We Enjoy &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Them. Sometimes An Animal Will Sneak In &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& But We Always Shoo Them Out. With Fresh &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Cut Flowers Thrown Right Outside The &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& House He Suspects And Resents Our &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Inaction. But He Doesn'T Have The &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Energy To Scold Us. He Weakens Quickly. &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& It Is Not Long Before He Is Still Tired &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Even In The Morning And Must &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Reluctantly Leave The Outdoor Weed &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Cutting To Us As Well, Untrusting That &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& We Will Carry It Out. &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Now He Leaves As Soon As He'S Awake And &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Falls Asleep As Soon As He Returns. We &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Are Left To Care For Us And The House &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& And The Orchard. But It Is Hard And We &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Are Distracted. We Are Not As &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Persistent As Father And Quickly Fall &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& Behind In Our Duties. &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&
&&&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&&