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.