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.