Page 6

By Jack Joseph Smith

6 I seemed to say it for a long times untill ‘my werds-made-mumbles: and we- followed my mother-into the back yard? 7 overcome=by the backs:ef five-big brick houses -rising-high on slightly up slanted lewn hills- runnin, the length of wur-yard’on the garage sides The houses there tryed to steal my security, but only made my yard seem nearer te moj’ Later they would see me sometimes and watch me always There people would eceme and go and be remindéd: of me; They were close-to my court yard Jerricho, but. they could never crush me They would be seperate-from mei! f Our driveway=backyard wail: remained’ low in it®s-inhancement of flowers: . and follages untill it climbed in stone under: high popular trees; deep | shrubbery, red and green sbparberry and black grape-vines; and’ other lied about: poisem berry's-,0 the-end of our yard in springs She walking ‘through the first backyard sectzion, behing her kitchenette, screened’ in pourchy and thin walk, that'came-around from the side-of the i house touching the: porches sitting steps Slay Ien't this nice Rudy} I mean Just look at’ this beautifull opening ef brick and grewth te-the other part of the yard{ Isn'4 it nice Rudy? \ Ha ha-hai Yes-it's-nice Mary§i Ien!t: it: beautiful! sen; Your mother sure- likes this yard : It's -pretty? i i Ha ha has' Yes-it is, It certainly iss f Round rose beds:made me rumand run around afternoom fragrence-timed. by | a: km dial lstanding: among the symbols of its-favorate seqsoms’ My shoes laid open leng knifed edged’ grasss.as we walked away from the walk througha> | trellice-of more red roses-4o where yhe song of both yards joined insan i i i | i

Original Scan

Page 6

AI Interpretation

GPT

The backyard opens into a defended kingdom of brick houses, flowers, vines, rose beds, and lawn, with the child feeling both watched and unconquered inside it.

Nearby houses and neighbors threaten the child's security only enough to sharpen his sense of private dominion, even to the point of calling the space a courtyard Jericho. The mother's delight in the yard gives the place warmth, while the hedges, walls, trellis, and long grass turn it into lived myth.

Claude

Five big brick houses try to steal the child's security but only make his yard nearer; the backyard becomes his court yard Jerricho, a tiny kingdom of rose beds and sundials that the encroaching neighbors cannot crush.