BY GRACE PALEY

1 

What is sometimes called a   

   tongue of flame 

or an arm extended burning   

   is only the long 

red and orange branch of   

   a green maple 

in early September   reaching 

   into the greenest field 

out of the green woods   at the 

   edge of which the birch trees   

appear a little tattered   tired 

   of sustaining delicacy 

all through the hot summer   re- 

   minding everyone (in   

our family) of a Russian 

   song   a story 

by Chekhov   or my father 

2 

What is sometimes called a   

   tongue of flame 

or an arm extended   burning 

   is only the long 

red and orange branch of 

   a green maple 

in early September   reaching   

   into the greenest field 

out of the green woods   at the   

   edge of which the birch trees 

appear a little tattered   tired 

   of sustaining delicacy 

all through the hot summer   re- 

   minding everyone (in   

our family) of a Russian 

   song   a story by 

Chekhov or my father on 

   his own lawn   standing   

beside his own wood in 

   the United States of   

America   saying (in Russian) 

   this birch is a lovely 

tree   but among the others 

   somehow superficial