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Matthew Nienow is the author of House of Water (2016), as well three chapbooks, including The End of the Folded Map. Born in Los Angeles and raised in the Seattle area, he holds an MFA from the University of Washington and a degree in Traditional Small Craft from the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding. A 2013 Ruth Lilly Fellow, he was also a finalist in the 2012 Narrative 30 Below Contest. Nienow lives in Port Townsend, Washington, with his wife and two sons.

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House of Water

by Matthew Nienow
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If, when in the house of water, you do not
somehow feel both kept and free
you are no kin to me.

My kin worry of the drain but let
the faucet drip. We hear a voice
that is both young and old in it.
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Reader Comments

  • Beautiful. Quicksilver but quenching. Thank you....
  • Exceptional poetry. What more can I say?...
  • Splendid poem: I read it in the desert, on a day...
  • An almost primeval language, lifting and falling rhythm--total decorum and near-union...

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