Maple

 

                      1                               

 

 

i grew up among them

      a tree that lives

      20 to 40 more years 

      than i do

      the tough ridge like

            dark textured

            bark

            when you are

                      young

                       you note it

                      doesn’t peel like

                        the other one

                      it is stately

                             standoffish

                             tall and

                            graceful

                       it was a power all

                       its own

                       a tree one

                       so beautiful

                       that it is easy

                       to see why one

                       nation would

                       swap the cross

                       of St. Andrews

                       for a mere

                       leaf

                       It turns red in

                       the autumn

                       a water saving

                       exercise

                       while

                       it sleeps through

                       the winter

                       Acer Sapindaceae

                      they call it

 

                    

 

 

                              2

 

 

      

          the children of

                      North America

                      know it well and have

                      climbed its strong 

                      limbs and sat upon its branches

                      its steady arms held

                      us

                      and the Keds sneakers

                      grabbed the natural

                      textured bark

                      to keep us

                      from slipping on

                      the maple and

                      its leaf

                   

                   

             

 

 

                         3

 

              

                    i had

                        a girlfriend

                        once who

                        helped my

                        understanding of its

                        beauty

                        she reminded me

                        not to spend

                        too much time

                        with the maple

                        leaf

 

                         i looked

                         in the direction

                         in search

                         of the object

                         of which she

                         spoke

                         and noticed the

                         small but comely

                         woman of African

                         descent

                         “they may sound

                           like us but

                           they are not what

                           we are.”

                           

                           really

 

                           the slave patrol’s

                           dogs could not

                           tell the difference

                           especially

                           after we crossed

                           the St. Lawrence

                           freedom was

                           too precious

                           and escape

                           from slavery

                           a must.

 

 

                                               4/24/2021