~~~~                             
                          ~^^    ^^~                          
                        :^          ^:                        
.......^~: ............ :            : ............ :~^.......
......^~:=              :^          ^:              =:~^......
.....^~:=&                ~^^    ^^~                &=:~^.....
....^~:=&#                   ~~~~                   #&=:~^....
...^~:=&##                                          ##&=:~^...
..^~:=&### 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.          :~^.......
......^~:=                                          =:~^......
.....^~:=&                                          &=:~^.....
....^~:=&#                                          #&=:~^....
...^~:=&##                                          ##&=:~^...
..^~:=&###                                          ###&=:~^..