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.