Happy Birthday, My Friend / ᎠᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᎤᏕᏘᏱᏍᎬ, ᎠᏆ ᎤᎾᎵ

Happy birthday, my friend.

I knew you before you were twenty,
and now you would be seventy-three.

I missed
the best part,
and so did you.

I will look for you
in the Summerland.

 ᎠᎵᎮᎵᏍᏗ ᎤᏕᏘᏱᏍᎬ, ᎠᏆ ᎤᎾᎵ.

ᎠᏯ ᎤᏅᏘᏎ ᏂᎯᏁ ᎤᏓᎷᎸ ᏂᎯ
ᎤᎯᏎ ᏔᎳᏍᎪᎯ ᏧᏕᏘᏴᏓ,
ᎠᎴ ᏃᏊ ᏂᎯ ᎤᎱᏎ
ᎦᎵᏆᏍᎪᎯ-ᏦᎢ.

ᎠᏯ ᎦᏅᏗᎢᏎ ᎣᎯᏍᏗ ᎢᎦᏛᏁ,
ᎠᎴ ᏂᎯ ᎦᏅᏗᎢᏎ ᎾᏍᏋ.

ᎠᏯ ᎠᏯᏍᏙᏎ ᏂᎯᏁ
ᎪᎩ-ᎡᎶᎯ ᎭᏫᎾ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler