Maples

First there comes the Maple Moon
in the month of March
named for the special Rock, Hard,
Sugar maple, rural living trees

Sometime thereafter in the month of May
you can watch all maples bloom
the Reds,  the Silvers, the Sugars,
the Norways and their Crimson Kings 

Buds of red or yellow burst
with reliable spring magic
releasing corymbs of delicate flowers
you need to go right up close to see
bunched with wrinkled baby leaves
be quick    be sure    be on the watch
for their single leader or mop-headed branches
still bright with light in early spring
with heat will flush out fast with foliage full

to make dense shade that later keeps you cool
in summer’s sweltering heat 

Their propeller seeds
     double samara
  long parallel wings
twirl down
come fall
   when leaves
          turn yellow
        others
       orange
              or red
magnificent munificent
              MAPLES
     Acer Amen!