Less Time than Alligator / ᎦᏲᎵᎨ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ ᏏᏅ ᏧᎳᏍᎩ

We have been here
less time than alligator,
but more time than
computer.
We remember nature,
brother- and sisterhood,
survival
of family, of tribe, of clan,
other lands and lives,
other skies above.
And through it all,
we remember love.

ᎢᏧᎳ ᎨᏒᎠᏎ ᎨᏒᎢnᏔ ᎠᎭᏂ
ᎦᏲᎵᎨ ᎢᎪᎯᏓ ᏏᏅ ᏧᎳᏍᎩ,
ᎠᏎᏃ ᏏᏊ ᏏᏅ
ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏒ-ᎠᏍᏆᎪᏗᏍᎩ.
ᎢᏧᎳ ᎠᏅᏓᏗᏍᏓᏎ ᎬᏩᎣᏁ,
ᎤᎸ ᎠᎴ ᏗᎾᏓᏅᏞᏦ,
ᎬᎵᏱᎵᏒ-ᎠᎴᏂᏙᎲᏁ
ᏏᏓᏁᎸᎯ, ᎠᎾᎳᏍᏓᎸ ᎠᎴ ᏧᏂᏴᏫ ᎥᎿᎢ,
ᏐᎢ ᎡᎶᎯᏗ ᎠᎴ ᎥᎴᏂᏙᎲᏗ,
ᏐᎢ ᎦᎸᎶᎢᏗ ᎦᎸᎳᏗᏢ.
ᎠᎴ ᏂᎦᏛ ᏗᎬᏩᎶᏒ,
ᎢᏧᎳ ᎠᏅᏓᏗᏍᏓᏎ ᎨᏳᏁ.

Text and image © 2019 by Donald C. Traxler ꮨᏺꭽꮅ.