~~~~                             
                          ~,,    ,,~                          
                        /,          ,/                        
.§.§.§...§ ............ /            / ............ §.§..§..§.
§§.§.§..§.              /,          ,/              §.§.§§.§§.
.§.§.§.§§.                ~,,    ,,~                §.§..§..§.
§§.§.§..§.                   ~~~~                   §.§.§§.§§.
.§.§.§.§§.                                          §.§..§..§.
§§.§.§..§. 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.          §.§..§..§.
§§.§.§..§.                                          §.§.§§.§§.
.§.§.§.§§.                                          §.§..§..§.
§§.§.§..§.                                          §.§.§§.§§.
.§.§.§.§§.                                          §.§..§..§.
§§.§.§..§.                                          §.§.§§.§§.