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.