It’s that time again. And I love it. 
Steam and fire, wind and sleet
This shack’s where in- and outside meet
Before this gift here’s at its finish will
Meet heat and coal to quite diminish
All from a boil that allows the clear
And cold run sap to disappear
Up through the air as tiny drops
Float up and up (to the treetops?)
Which leave behind the golden stick
That boils and boils from thin to thick
And ends up in my coffee, tea
(And fingers, quite in spite of me)
Oh for the sake of sweet so fine
I labor here to make it mine.
But before the sugar shack I have
To make my way ’round yard and back
Where buckets wait in mystery
With treasures held for me to see
I peek inside each one with great
Big hope as I anticipate
How much? How much? lies there within
That bucket; is it thick or thin
With sap, oh tree, are you ready to
Share what’s yours with me, are you?
Is it time? Is it now?
(I’m a child who’s waited all year through
For this present once again that’s new!)
Emptying time.
I grab the buckets, lift, unload
The metal’s cold, my muscles groan.
I set my face
Quicken my pace
Through mud, grass, leaves, and ice or snow
Forth and back through taps and trees
I wonder how the count will be
Will I run out of storage space
Or need to slow my boiling pace
For smaller yields and lesser gains?
No matter what, I’ll take these pains
For nectar sweet as honeybees’
Maple syrup time requires of me.
And when I start to tire or feel
The weight of work I do so real
I stop and breathe the crisp new breath
Of spring’s onset and winter’s death
The air is fresh the work is good:
This mix of fire, sap, steam, and wood
And all this bounty’s yielded up
In this li’l yard from nature’s cup
The gold brown gift on counter sits
For king or peasant present fit
A taste so good, pure, and unique
It needs no help, no aid, no tweak
But to watch the boil, this takes a bit
Of preference, here I do admit
To decide how much to load the fire
And when, how much, in order to
Each facet must be much thought through
Or not; sometimes I’ll let it be
And not take things so seriously
There’s oft a rhythm there’s oft some fun
(A time for each thing ‘neath the sun!)
To sit, to work, to watch, to try
And delight in time that passes by
The process by which it comes about
I just can’t say enough about
‘Cause I get to stand and watch and wait
And walk and load, elucidate
And wonder, move and load again
(And again and again and again and again.)
How many jobs are under heaven
Where work’s the dough and time’s the leaven
That allows for a product
From patience and grace
Quite without all attempts to quicken the pace?
I’m the watchman, the gatherer, the participant here
But transforming magic? Quite beyond me, that’s clear.
wordskeepmesane 
I continue to be sorry for the weird spacing. WordPress is wonderful… Except for that part of the iPad app.
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I can’t stand the iPad app! It’s always glut hung out. I love the post and pictures. It makes me want to be there!
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Thank you. I wish you could be here too. It’s festive and peaceful and sweet and earthy. Meant to be shared…
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Marvelous, magnificent, maple syrup! A wonderful co-operation of nature and human nature and one of the magical gifts of spring. It was so nice for me, as New Englander, to find and read this today….thank you!
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I love the lines “And ends up in my coffee, tea / (And fingers, quite in spite of me).” I can’t help but think (lovingly) of Winnie the Pooh with his paws in the honey jar.
I hope the syrup’s overflowing and the joy of its production stays sweet within you.
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We don’t do that here, so I envy you for it. 🙂 It seems like it would be fun, and a great way to share life with the trees.
That swing in the background looks like the perfect place to enjoy a cup of naturally-sweetened coffee.
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I would be, but I usually enjoy plenty of those while in the building literally watching the sap boil. And maple syrup is undoubtedly the best coffee sweetener there is. 🙂
And yes, the trees! Beautiful, life-giving, wondrous trees. Because we burn so much and so many different types of wood in the firebox for the evaporator, and because you really start to learn afresh which ones burn in which ways, this year I found myself marveling all over again at those qualities of the trees.
I like your line, it resonates with me, and it is so true that it is a “great way to share life with the trees.” Not to mention my children, myself, my husband, the returned birds, and my Creator! Oh – and now you a little. Thank you.
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I love this, Amy! Your writing gets better and better! I so wish i were there! Save a little syrup for me when I come into town to sip some tea! Keep it up!!!
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Thanks so much, Mary! I will do that and look forward to it!
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Our neighbors were sugaring a few weeks ago. One of the many joys of spring this delightful nectar! Your writing pulls us in and expresses the joy of doing simple things in partnership with the natural world. Isn’t it amazing what the trees will give!?
Peace
Michael
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It is. It’s a wonder to me every time. In an age where it’s too easy to disconnect from all things creation/not humanly contrived, I’m grateful for these (sweet) reminders of how things have been and continue to be here quite in spite of us. Thanks for your comment about being “pulled in.” It’s especially meaningful because the process is so consuming I’m glad it splashed over a little onto you… 🙂
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