The opposite of space is
lace—: how pattern’s tooled
by hand, thread, shuttle
Hands in her hair, she twists
each lock, beeswaxed, clockwise
while her mind’s on the Delaware
How a tatting shuttle resembles
a boat, a leaf, a tear
She thread-locks one strand
purple and green
At the frozen river a black boy imaginary
hand clamped round hitching ring
or lantern
How a tatting pin resembles
a small and beautiful shackle
The little boat’s work—:
things were as they are