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Antimacassars

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