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.