Life is a strong wine
to take so tall a glass
where many would live
in little sips.

30 October 2016

BESCHWÖRUNG

I conjure you,
monster of our own creation,
by the sacred elements
of earth, air, fire, water,
and spirit,
in the presence of the guardians
of the four directions,
to desist from your evil
acts and allow us
once again to be free
and fully human,
that we and our Mother,
the Earth, may again
thrive.
As I will,
so may it be.
As we will,
so will it be.

Blessings and strength
to my sisters and brothers
in all lands.
Our weapon is love,
and in it we are
invincible.

QUATRAINS DE NOSSA SENHORA

XCIV.
Somo prisioneros
y non avrá resgate.
Por las barras da prisón
nos dan shocolate.

We are prisoners
and there will be no ransom.
Through the prison bars
they give us chocolate.

28/10/2016

In the stormy month of October

when we thought southern winter was over,

the wind screamed "No way!"

and promised to stay

'til hell freezes over.

10/27/16

I held my breath

until I could no longer

hold it,

and when at last

I breathed out,

there was an

explosion

of poetry.

23 Oct. 2016

Tiny sea creatures
write messages in the sand
that no one can read.

23/10/2016

QUATRAINS DE NOSSA SENHORA

XCIII.
O pronóstico de tempo é disponível
mas ninguno lo pode ler.
O idioma é audível
mas non se pode entender.

The weather report is available
but no one can read it.
The language is audible
but cannot be understood.

22/10/2016

QUATRAINS DE NOSSA SENHORA

XCII.

O príncipe adiciona

decorazones a su ropa

mentre que su país

non funciona.

The prince adds

decorations to his clothes

while his country

does not function.

21/10/2016

#poesia #portunhol #4linhas #4lineas #4lines

QUATRAINS DE NOSSA SENHORA

XCI.
Avaritia, avaritia quae
societatem nostram destruit,
hostis principalis est,
sicut semper fuit.

Greed, greed that
destroys our society,
is the main enemy,
as it has always been.

19/10/2016

QUATRAINS DE NOSSA SENHORA

XC.
Una palavra
de vida anterior
dizer debo:
sicut sol, evolutus collucebo.

18/10/2016

QUATRAINS DE NOSSA SENHORA

LXXXIX.
O mundo está invertido,
por los pies estamo suspendido
entre lo malo y lo temido,
sen tené lo prometido.

The world is upside-down,
we are suspended by our feet
between the bad and the feared,
not having what was promised.

17 de otubro 2016

STONE TOOLS

Stone tools, shaped by
human hands,
centuries ago
at least.
I find them
on the beach,
or in mossy
streambeds,
unrecognized by others.

They are mostly
for cutting or
scraping, for
cleaning hunted
game or fish.

The one thing
they all have
in common
is a comfortable
shape, carefully worked
to fit the hand.

The shells beside them
in the sand
are older life
by millions of years,
but do not bespeak
the hopes,
the labor,
the loves,
and the tears.

16 October 2016

THE SAND DOLLAR

What is the kiss of the sand dollar,
what its thought?
What is its bliss,
what has it wrought?

10/15/2016

PHOEBE, THE OCEAN, AND HAPPINESS

We've been here at the beach house for four days, and until today we hadn't turned on the sound system--the beach and the ocean had given us all the entertainment we needed. Today it's raining, and we wanted to hear some music. I asked Sandy to pick, and she chose The Best of Phoebe Snow--a cd we hadn't heard in years, though it was very beloved of both of us in the '70s. Poor Phoebe left us years ago, but she left behind so much delicate beauty, not to mention a humorous swagger that can only charm. Looking out at the ocean, I think it strange and unforeseeable that Sandy and I would be sitting here in a beach house in Uruguay, one of our two homes here, listening to Phoebe and looking out at our front yard, which is the ocean. Strange, not to be predicted, but wonderful. May you all be as fortunate. <3

QUATRAINS DE NOSSA SENHORA

LXXXVIII.

A núven cogumelo

será visto de novo,

azote terrible

de planeta y povo.

The mushroom cloud

will be seen again,

terrible scourge

of planet and people.

15 de otubro 2016

WALKING ZIG-ZAG

Walking zig-zag at low tide:
What could I be looking for
that I don't already have?

10/14/2016

NOTICE

Unless otherwise stated, all text and images are © 2016-2024 by Donald C. Traxler. Text with my accompanying illustrations may be used for non-commercial purposes if credit is given to the author. Images may only be used separately with express permission of the author, and also require photo credit to be given to the author, who may be contacted via e-mail: exolinguist@gmail.com. This blog contains images of natural, non-sexual nudity. If you find that offensive, please navigate elsewhere. Thank you.
Если ты украдешь мою работу, я буду преследовать тебя. Wenn Sie meine Arbeit stehlen, werde ich Sie verklagen. Om du stjäl mitt arbete kommer jag att stämma dig.

Text and image Copyright © 2016-2024 by Donald C. Traxler.

The Muse spends time
with whom she will.
She does not like
to be ignored.

October 8 2016


QUATRAINS DE NOSSA SENHORA

LXXXVI.
Abre as portas
que cerró a civilizasón.
deishá entrá la luz,
aumenta la comunicasón.

Open the doors
closed by civilization,
let in the light,
increase communication.

8 de otubro 2016

QUATRAINS DE NOSSA SENHORA

LXXXIV.
O senador romano,
historia triste,
que mató se no banho,
ainda existe.

The Roman senator,
sad story,
who killed himself in the bath,
still exists.

2 de otubro 2016


LXXXV.
A estabilidad da pirámide
se deve á sus cimentos,
y ninguna podería existí
sin el esforzo de centos.

The stability of the pyramid
is due to its foundations,
and none could exist
without the effort of hundreds.

7 de otubro 2016

POETA

Poeta, sacerdote que
forma puente frágil
entre dioses y mortales,
lo forma también
entre vida y muerte,
y más fuerte.

Poet, priest who forms
a fragile bridge
between gods and mortals,
forms it also
between life and death,
and more strongly.

1 de octubre 2016


Most of the time I would prefer to write in Portunhol, which feels more international to me, and which I'm trying to turn into a literary language. For the last few days, though, poems have been coming to me in Spanish, so I write them in Spanish. These are some of the mysteries of the Muse.


Sí, por supuesto
que quiero
celebrar la vida
en tus ofrecidos
orificios.
Pero hay algo
que me empuja
aun más
fuertemente.
Quiero
conocerte
en un
abrazo
de almas.

Yes, of course
I want
to celebrate life
in your offered
orifices.
But there is something
that drives me
even more
strongly.
I want
to know you
in an
embrace
of souls.

30 de setiembre 2016


All poets are priests.
They invoke and express
realities otherwise
too numinous
to mention.

10/1/2016


Todos os poetas
son sacerdotes.
Invocan y expresan
realidades que
de otra manera
serían demasiado
numinosas para
mencioná.

1/10/16

BRICKS

LADRISHOS

Ladrishos morterados forman muros,
fazen caminhos, pontos, edificios,
fazen-se ruinas
fazen-se armas
pasan por vidrios.

Tisholos manchados con sangre
fazen-se monumentos
a matanzas innecessarias.

Si nostras familias no se preocupan desto
lo farán os desesperados.

27 de setembro 2016

LXXIX.
O mundo mente,
dizendo que somo nada,
mas ao fin continuamo,
arraigado no universo.

The world lies,
telling us we are nothing,
but in the end we continue on,
rooted in the universe.

24 de setembro 2016


QUATRAINS DE NOSSA SENHORA

LXXX.
As personas más espirituales
do planeta son aqueshas
que escutchan as palavras
da propria alma.

The most spiritual people
on the planet are those
who listen to the words
of their own soul.

25 de setembro 2016


LXXXI.

Ainda que o mundo
diga de otra manera,
homen y mushé son igual,
companhero y companhera.

Although the world
may say otherwise,
man and woman are equal,
mutual companions.

26 de setembro 2016


LXXXII.
Pontos y estradas inter-islenhas
se shevarán como shuguetes.
Destaca-se o número
tres centos noventa y tres.

LXXXIII.
O mediterráneo mar
será un océano de barro.
Ainda que sea incrível,
foi una coiza visível.

29 setembro 2016

Crabbed writing,
drooping lines,
poem written in the dark

9/22/2016

Visualize a better world,
believe in it,
work toward it,
and you will have it.

Visualiza un mundo meshor,
cree en esho,
trabasha pra esho,
y lo vas a tené.

23/9/2016


The Muse speaks
to me
and I will be
what she
wants me
to be.

La Musa fala me
y seré
o que
ela quere
que sho sea.

26 september 2016