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.