Maple Sugaring: Analytical Composition Assignment

Me and Rex tramp through the slushy snow

almost warm enough to go without

bundled up and snowshoed

check the maple trail

5 collect a tiny amount of sap from each annoyed tree

tip birchbark basket into a bucket

tree to tree to tree

keep Rex from peeing on each tree

spirits soar like sap

10 sky so tender new and bright

hauling clear green maple sap

dumping it into the

pot

black iron kettle

15 like a cauldron

hangs above the fire

boil

boil

simmer

20 boil

stir with a long wooden spoon

stir

Stir

stir until your arms ache

25 and your eyes feel soaked with smoke.

Aunt Alberta watches scowling from the kitchen window

comes out to throw a little green wood under the kettle

Flaps her apron at the smoke

and says something like, “Well,

30 I guess if you stirred any slower we could just

chop it up and

sprinkle it on our johnnie cakes.”

All that watery sap gets browner and browner

and smaller and smaller

35 stir stir stir

scrape the bottom

Every once in a while

dribble some sap onto the snow

and quick eat it

40 before

Alberta catches you not stirring.

Cousins always show up then:

“Gimme some why don’t you!”

“Shhh!” and carelessly flop the spoon

45 over edge of the kettle

Whoops! spilled some (keep an eye on the kitchen window)

“Stir some then,” I command

as little ones scramble for drops in the snow.

Beanie and Rusty take their turns

50 eyes watering, responsible and solemn.

“Try stirring faster,” I say, “Scrape the bottom.”

Dowie wants to try stirring so lift her over the edge,

the big wood spoon in her tiny hands

she stirs

55 tongue between teeth

scraping bottom as hard as she can

Her eyes turn red and watery

& I put her down finally.

“I can stir more,” she says.

60 “You’re too heavy,” I say. “Look! Are those butterflies?”

“Catch me one, O.K.?”

They pelt off to the edge of the woods

while I stir quick and hard

hoping the syrup hasn’t burned.

65 The wood spoon feels heavier

the sap is brown

and the spoon makes thick waves that

stand up

nearly solid.

70 Aunt Alberta comes out

Takes the spoon and gives it a few turns

And she dribbles some onto the snow and we both eat some.

“Do you know how to make johnnie cakes?” she asks, throwing

snow on the fire.

75 “If you come here tomorrow

early

I’ll teach you.”

And I feel as big as trees must feel

when they all sing together in the spring.