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.