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.