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.