When I started writing this poem, I was only going to focus on the tree. Soon, my mind saw the owl sitting in the tree, um, no .... actually, I heard a scary HOOT of the owl, so I added, and actually started, with him. He's now the focus of the poem.

Of course if you were writing a lighthearted poem about spring, you would want to stay away from crooked bones or the word bones at all. You might use words like ribboned. Curled. Maybe braided, but without the bones. Braided what? Maybe simply braided limbs or braided branches heaped with spring. (Leaves.)

A row of (spring) trees along a country road might be thought of as April ballerinas. May soldiers. The marching band of June.

A row of winter trees might be described as being dotted with December. A tree farm might be a holiday party of pine.

A blanket (oops, cliche alert) of evergreens. Cross out blanket.

A ____ of evergreens. (open to ideas?!)