Understanding ideas of love and relationships in Ewing’s ‘Origin Story’

The speaker of the poem is most likely Ewing herself, sharing her own personal experience. The poem explores different types of love: romantic, familial, and love linked to self-identity. Arguably the poem subverts the conventions of a love poem, offering a realistic presentation. The title foregrounds the importance of placing value on Black lived experiences and reimagining narratives. Ewing has said that her work falls under the genre of Afrofuturism.