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.