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.