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.