~~~~                             
                          ~..    ..~                          
                        ^.          .^                        
###§$§^~., ,,,,,,,,,,,, ^            ^ ,,,,,,,,,,,, ,.~^§$§###
##§$§~...,              ^.          .^              ,...~§$§##
###§$§^~.,                ~..    ..~                ,.~^§$§###
§§^.,,,,,,                   ~~~~                   ,,,,,,.^§§
####§$§^~,                                          ,~^§$§####
#§§~.,,,,, 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 ,......~§§
##$§§^~.,,           We Will Carry It Out.          ,,.~^§§$##
#§$§~.,,,,                                          ,,,,.~§$§#
###§$§^~., Now He Leaves  As Soon As He'S Awake And ,.~^§$§###
###§$§^~., Falls Asleep  As Soon As He  Returns. We ,.~^§$§###
§$$^...,,, Are Left  To Care For  Us  And The House ,,,...^$$§
####$§^~., And The Orchard. But It  Is  Hard And We ,.~^§$####
###§$§^~., Are   Distracted.   We   Are    Not   As ,.~^§$§###
###§$§^~., Persistent  As  Father And  Quickly Fall ,.~^§$§###
###§$§^~.,          Behind In Our Duties.           ,.~^§$§###
###§$§^~.,                                          ,.~^§$§###
###§$§^~.,                                          ,.~^§$§###
###§$§^~.,                                          ,.~^§$§###
###§$§^~.,                                          ,.~^§$§###
§§§^~,,,,,                                          ,,,,,~^§§§