don't worry

24 THEMINNESOTA REVIEW SUSAN FIRER don't worry all winter i have watched the sugar maples, waiting for their first change of color, the bark lightening into almost spring browns but last night, it was the sounds of hammers tapping spigots, bucket handles being hung & clear sweet sap dripping in great black buckets an invitation, we are moving into a grandma moses painting we will start with with the sounds, sugaring off it will be wonderful to celebrate spring with all the neighbors stay through summer in a place where snow still patches the ground we will be painted in friends to all FIRER 25 known, loved & respected we will live in a red house with white curtains &a redder barn. all the children will be happy, except the oldest girl she will be in love the bright primary colors will keep us gay & wild all sugaring we will stay cool & alive as the animals our talk & gossip we will gather the sap in the black buckets, cook it in the deep kettles, we will add more & more & never run out the sleighs never empty of wood & the trees never open their buds in a grandma moses sugaring off painting we will stand 'round the sap fire stirring the syrup spanking the children we will cure the neighbors & tell our favorite stories smelling the still sweet boiling liquid & our husbands rough breath 26 THEMINNESOTA REVIEW the children will be warm & slow in the bulky suits grandma paints them good & waiting for the maple candy there are times when everyone needs a kind grandma like this to move them with a brush from "out for the Christmas trees" to "the old swing at home" from "turkey in the straw" to "apple pickers" tired we ask grandma to leave us out of "wash day" & "candle dip day" she puts us at a picnic white churches long tables ponds & men in black ladies & children in white it is this easy then to live in early spring in sweet slowness of gay colors where "it snows, oh it snows" we start at sugaring off & move through years of "ripe pumpkins" mill ponds & husking bees grandmas colors rocking the babys & quieting the clocks her blizzard of paintings keeping us warm & comfortable so comfortable in the many homes & rooms we find ourselves living in. ...