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.