“Snot Boy” by Ingrid Wagner

Snot Boy

(after the Nuu Chah-Nulth myth, translated by Anne Cameron, 1981)

Poor Snot Boy.

Such inauspicious origins

could only yield limited 

and disappointing results.

The raw material,

not of the Supernatural, like her,

but the byproduct of Copper Woman’s

own despair and grief.

What can be expected of such

an incomplete manikin — 

not automaton, but not quite real?

He whines, and grabs, 

and satisfies himself.

More child than colleague, 

but so much less gratifying.

Utterly dependent on 

her perpetual goodwill.

She mommies him — part reflex, 

part obligation.

But her efforts are for naught.

He misses deadlines.

He makes false promises.

He cannot be bothered 

with daily tasks and trivial details.

At least I’ll see him on pay day,

she laments.

In his impertinence 

and arrested development,

Snot Boy does not notice 

when Copper Woman moves on.

He was born to take but never give,

and her fulfillment is outsourced 

to more productive entities.

Pathetic lamb, bless his heart.

Editor’s note: As with all work inspired by Indigenous Sources, Twenty Bellows would encourage our readers to seek out original sources and interpretations by Native writers and historians. The work at the center of this piece is the traditional property of the Nuu Chah-Nulth nation. “Daughters of Copper Woman,” by Anne Cameron is widely available online.

About Ingrid Wagner
She/Her/Hers

Ingrid Wagner is a cultural anthropologist, curator, and sometimes-activist. She has spent her career writing for other people. She has been a trusted brand storyteller for companies big and small, a curator for museum and private exhibitions nationwide, a provider of voice for social justice causes, and a writing coach for professionals and students alike. She lives in Boulder, Colorado, with her husband, three teenagers, and two dogs.