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.