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.