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.