Grandma took the hand auger,
chose just the right bit,
cut a piece of green garden hose,
just the right length,
got a pail and went to work;
she drilled a hole in the maple tree
in the back yard, careful to only
pierce through bark to tree meat,
tapped that piece of water hose
in the hole she made,
hung the bucket on the hose
and waited…
I don’t remember how many days it took,
but sap came seeping out of that tree
and she gathered her catch,
took the bucket and made something
with the sticky glob she carefully collected.

Michellia D. Wilson 8/14/2016