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.