Act

Athena Kildegaard

As if the acoustics were perfect

as if sails luffing, the sound of, attracted porpoises

as if always shells plumbed dew, mercury depended on coffee, sieves held icicles

as if we two, we three, we four, and on until eternity

as if puddles, cucumbers, orchids

and as if the hermit thrush meant to spend the morning

as if love, as if love, as if love

and the semaphores of dandelions could save us.

Athena Kildegaard lives in prairie pothole country — that is, Morris, Minnesota — where she’s a lecturer at the University of Minnesota. Here are a few things she’s done:

• cleaned creamed corn machines
• nursed two beautiful children
• eaten fresh pineapple
• listened to her husband play banjo
• worked as a resident artist in Minnesota, Mississippi, and Texas
• taught 6th grade, high school English, and at the college level freshman composition, creative writing, environmental ethics
• read War and Peace three times
• received grants from the Lake Region Arts Council and the Minnesota State Arts Board
• received the 2011 LRAC/McKnight Fellowship