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.