----
-,, ,,-
*, ,*
@&&*---... ............ * * ............ ...---*&&@
&&*,,,,... *, ,* ...,,,,*&&
###&&$*-,. -,, ,,- .,-*$&&###
##@&&$*-,. ---- .,-*$&&@##
#&&&&$*-,. .,-*$&&&&#
@&&&&$*-,. The River That'S Our River Makes A .,-*$&&&&@
###&&$*-,. Large Bend Like A Scooping Hand And A .,-*$&&###
#&$$**--,. Decent Days Travel North From That .,--**$$&#
#&&$-,.... Stands Our House In The Middle Of A ....,-$&&#
#@#&&$*-,. Forgotten Apple Orchard. Our House Is .,-*$&&#@#
&&$-...... Built Of Dark Clay And Abandoned By A ......-$&&
&&*,,..... 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. ......,*&&
&&&&$$*-,. .,-*$$&&&&
&&&**-.... ....-**&&&
#@#&&$*-,. .,-*$&&#@#
#@#&&$*-,. .,-*$&&#@#
#&*,,,.... ....,,,*&#