Portside

We are so honored that
        you are here, they said.

We know that this is
        your homeland, they said.

The admission price
        is five dollars, they said.

Here is your button
        for the event, they said.

It means so much to us that
        you are here, they said.

We want to write
        an apology letter, they said.

Tell us what to say.

Gwen Nell Westerman lives in southern Minnesota, as did her Dakota ancestors. She is a Native American educator, writer, and fiber artist. She is a professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and the Director of the Native American Literature Symposium. Governor Tim Walz appointed her as Poet Laureate of Minnesota in September 2021.