Wellspring: Words from Water - Kimberly Blaeser

[Larry Robinson]

Wellspring: Words from Water 



A White Earth childhood water rich 

and money poor.

Vaporous being transformed 

in cycles—

the alluvial stories pulled 

from Minnesota lakes


harvested like white fish, 

like manoomin,

like old prophecies of 

seed growing on water.

Legends of Anishinaabeg spirit beings:

cloud bearer Thunderbird 

who brings us rain,

winter windigo like Ice Woman, 

or Mishibizhii

who roars with 

spit and hiss of rapids—

great underwater panther, 

you copper us


to these tributaries of balance. 

Rills. A cosmology of nibi.  

We believe our bodies thirst. 

Our earth.

One element. Aniibiishaaboo. 

Tea brown wealth.

Like maple sap. Amber. The liquid eye of moon.



Now she turns tide,  

and each wedded being gyrates

to the sound, its river body curving.


We, women of ageless waters, 

endure;

like each flower drinks from night,

holds dew. 

Our bodies a libretto,

saturated, an aquifer—

we speak words from ancient water.

	- Kimberly Blaeser