Little Heresies of Design

how oranges deliquesce in the shallow bowl

how old roses smell of linen cabinets
and wool sweaters of camphor

how boxcars tattooed in fluorescent colors
carry coal past grade schools

how mercy is a blindered horse

how one tornado brought down a steeple
and deposited bank statements six counties away

how we cannot hear the spider’s shuttle
nor do we listen for it

Athena Kildegaard is the author of four books of poetry: Ventriloquy, recently released from Tinderbox Editions, Rare Momentum, Bodies of Light (a finalist for the Minnesota Book Award), and Cloves & Honey (a finalist for the Midwest Book Award). She lives in Morris, Minnesota, where she teaches.