Coming to a corner

the 2nd day of spring

an ancient tree

a silver maple

in bloom

a hundred branches

slightly furred

by thin scarlet stamens

clusters of

red bud

Up the street, kids getting off

a school bus-

One boy, red jacket,

yells that She wanted me to know

if you like her

Then the first one off

running away, jacket pulled up

over his head

for protection

She likes you!

Bruce Holsapple grew up in Dexter and is a founding editor of Contraband magazine, Maine’s first well-known small literary magazine. His poems have appeared widely in books and periodicals. He is a speech therapist and lives now in Magdalena, N.M. Uni-Verse offers a poem grown from the experience of Maine bimonthly in Monday’s Discovering section.