Poetry & Process

Poetry & Process

Home
Notes
Poem
Reflection
Exchange
Memory
Archive
About

Share this post

Matters of Kinship
Matters of Kinship
My Love, I Was Here First: Kinship

My Love, I Was Here First: Kinship

An Exchange

Katharine Beckett Winship's avatar
Katharine Beckett Winship
Nov 18, 2024
50

Share this post

Matters of Kinship
Matters of Kinship
My Love, I Was Here First: Kinship
34
5
Share
Article voiceover
1×
0:00
-1:47
Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade.
Cross-post from Matters of Kinship
Welcome to An exchange on Kinship, Part 1 by Katharine Beckett Winship. Katharine kicks off this week with her piece "My Love, I Was Here First" and her accompanying art. This exchange will consist of six parts, one published each day between now and Saturday, each responding to and building on the prior piece. Read along and consider who you see as your kin. Enjoy! -
Brian Funke
water by the author

My Love, I Was Here First

after yet another zoom meeting
advocating for Rights of Nature,
i go to the banks of the Swannanoa River.
she’s disappointed in me.
i don’t think she furious
yet still…
i can’t bring myself to tell her  
we had asked our state senator 
to back Rights of Nature; 
the senator demurred.
the committee is in disarray.
i don’t dare tell her that the source
stems from what it always does:
a lack of kinship.

i hear the River say
you are talking about yourselves again. 
of course, she’s right.

the River whispers,
the poet said:
language does not solve everything.
the poet favors silence, 
line breaks,
and blank spaces.

the River speaks louder,
i will tell you this:
i don’t ask you anything.
i don’t ask about your ancestors,
or your belief system,
or who you love.
i don’t ask what your stockholders want, 
though i do act out my discontent 
when you defile me.
i don’t charge admission
before i fill your glass with water.

my love, i was here first,
then the land,
then the skunk cabbage.
you are miles from understanding me.

hear me when i say:
i don’t ask you anything 
before i gift you water.
the headwaters of the Swannanoa River 📷Kevin Doyle Jones
50

Share this post

Matters of Kinship
Matters of Kinship
My Love, I Was Here First: Kinship
34
5
Share

No posts

© 2025 Brian Funke
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share