Poetry By Linda Ryynänen

Joseph Gage CC




I Don’t Know How To Say I Know Who My Relatives Are

              a golden shovel
              after Abigail Chabitnoy

in my pappa’s last name. Today, I
discover myself. He tells me don’t
forget your name. You must know
who (&)what (&)where (&)why (&)how
we were born. We listen to
story after story. Here we say,
suku. I know who she is. I 
also know that I know
who she is not. You ask who
is my relative? The startling joy of my
being. I have endless relatives,
and they dance. Here, they are.




Linda Ryynänen (she/they/it) is an artist, musician, writer and poet currently living in western Maryland. She has poems appearing in The Swannanoa Review, Strange Hymnal, Split Rock Review, Allium: A Journal of Poetry and Prose and more, as well as others forthcoming in Stonecoast Review and The Bear Review.   
​